How to Make Spinach and Feta Triangles With Crispy Filo

Getting crispy filo comes down to one habit most people skip: squeezing every last drop of moisture out of the spinach before it goes anywhere near the pastry. Skip it and you get soggy bottoms and filling leaking onto the tray. Do it properly and the filo stays shatteringly crisp all the way through.

Crispy golden filo filled with a creamy, salty spinach and feta mixture. They suit everything from a casual Friday night to a proper celebration spread, and they can be assembled and frozen uncooked.

Why the spinach and filo technique matters

My first attempt ended with soggy bottoms and filling leaking out all over the tray. I had not squeezed enough moisture out of the spinach. The fix: gather the cooked spinach in a clean tea towel and squeeze until you genuinely cannot get another drop out.

• Squeeze the spinach bone dry. According to Serious Eats, wet fillings are the number one cause of soggy filo pastry.
• Keep unused filo covered. A damp tea towel over the stack stops it drying out and cracking while you work.
• Butter every layer. This is what bakes up golden and shatteringly crisp rather than pale and chewy.

Ingredients you will need

For the filling

• 400g fresh baby spinach or 250g frozen spinach, thawed
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled
• 150g ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Cracked black pepper to taste

For the pastry

• 1 packet filo pastry sheets (375g), thawed
• 100g butter, melted

Makes about 24 triangles, perfect for a party platter.

How to make spinach and feta triangles step by step

1. If using fresh spinach, wilt it in a pan over medium heat until completely collapsed, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, press firmly. Once cool, gather it in a clean tea towel and squeeze hard until no more liquid comes out. Chop roughly. Frozen spinach gets the same treatment after thawing.
2. Combine the squeezed spinach, feta, ricotta, beaten eggs, spring onions, nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, remembering the feta is already quite salty.
3. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
4. Unwrap the filo and lay flat, covering immediately with a damp tea towel. Take one sheet, brush lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top, brush again.
5. Cut the layered filo lengthways into three equal strips. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling at the base of each strip, leaving a small border.
6. Fold the bottom right corner up and over the filling to form a triangle. Continue folding up the strip in a flag-folding motion, alternating left and right, to the end. Brush the outside with butter and place on the tray.
7. Repeat with the remaining filo and filling. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until deeply golden and crispy all over.

Spinach and Feta Triangles

Recipe by Ella McKenzieCourse: Party Food, AppetiserCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Golden, crispy spinach and feta triangles made with buttered filo pastry and a creamy spinach, feta and ricotta filling. Perfect Australian party food that can be made ahead and frozen uncooked.

Ingredients

• Filling

• 400 g fresh baby spinach or 250 g frozen spinach, thawed

• 200 g feta cheese, crumbled

• 150 g ricotta cheese

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Cracked black pepper to taste

• Pastry

• 1 packet filo pastry sheets (375 g), thawed

• 100 g butter, melted

Directions

• Wilt and drain spinach, then squeeze dry in a tea towel. Chop roughly.
• Mix spinach with feta, ricotta, eggs, spring onions, nutmeg and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
• Layer two filo sheets with butter between them. Cut lengthways into three strips.
• Place a tablespoon of filling at the base of each strip. Fold into triangles using a flag-folding motion.
• Brush outside of each triangle with butter and place on tray.
• Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden and crispy all over.

Notes

• Squeeze the spinach dry: This is the most important step for crispy spinach and feta triangles. Do not rush it.
• Keep filo covered: Always keep unused filo sheets under a damp tea towel or they will dry out and crack.
• Freeze uncooked: Assemble the triangles and freeze on a tray before transferring to a bag. Bake from frozen at 190 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes.
• Flag folding tip: Watch a quick video online for the flag-folding technique if this is your first time. It takes one practice triangle to get the hang of it and then it becomes very fast.

What happens if you skip the technique

• Spinach not squeezed dry enough: soggy or leaking filling, every time. Squeeze until you genuinely cannot get another drop out.
• Filo left uncovered: it dries out fast, becomes brittle, and tears when you fold it. Keep it under a damp tea towel the whole time.
• Not enough butter on the final fold: triangles come out pale instead of golden. Brush generously on the outside too.

Filling variations to try

• Pumpkin and feta: swap the spinach for roasted, mashed pumpkin with feta and fresh sage. Sweeter, earthier, great for autumn.
• Chicken and leek: diced cooked chicken and softened leek mixed with cream cheese, for a heartier option.
• Sun-dried tomato and brie: a small piece of brie and a teaspoon of chopped sun-dried tomato per triangle, elegant and quick.

Make ahead and storage

Assemble and freeze uncooked on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag for up to 2 months, bake straight from frozen at 190 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes, ideal timed for while guests are arriving. Already baked, keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat at 170 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp back up, never the microwave.

Frequently asked questions

These are the kind of party food that makes you look like you spent far more time in the kitchen than you actually did. Make a big batch for the freezer.

Happy cooking from my Newcastle kitchen.

Ella x