spanakopita

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Modern Greek σπανακόπιτα (spanakópita), from σπανάκι (spanáki, “spinach”) + πίτα (píta, “pie”). Usually short for σπανακοτυρόπιτα (spanakotyrópita, “spanakotiropita, spinach and cheese pie”), from same as above and τυρί (tyrí, “cheese”).

• IPA^(key): /ˌspænəˈkoʊpɪtə/

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spanakopita (countable and uncountable, plural spanakopitas or spanakopites)

1. (Usually short for spanakotiropita) A Greek dish made with pre-cooked spinach, butter, olive oil, cheese, green onions, egg, and seasoning in phyllo pastry.
   • 1983, Hilma Wolitzer, chapter 30, in In the Palomar Arms, New York, N.Y.: Farrar/Straus/Giroux, →ISBN, page 231:

     Soon, she’s toting a tray of miniature spanakopites, wedging it between groups of men and women who all seem to have arrived at once, as if they’ve been brought in a chartered bus to populate the house, to form a small privileged nation.

   • 2012, Olympia Rizidis, “Olga Returns to Her Parents”, in This Is Our Promised Land, Brisbane, Qld.: Boolarong Press, →ISBN, page 42:

     They laughed and enjoyed baking bread, buns and spanakopites (her Mama taught her the art of making filo pastry).

   • 2017, Lynn Freed, The Last Laugh: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Sarah Crichton Books, →ISBN, page 94:

     Bowls of melitzanosalata and tzatziki had been laid out, platters of spanakopita, meatballs, tiropitas, and two bottles of wine.

   • 2021, Mary Karras, “London – 1986”, in The Making of Mrs Petrakis, London: Two Roads, →ISBN:

     A large order today, he’d said. Mrs Yiasoumi had a delicate stomach and could hardly get out of bed, so he’d take five of her freshest spanakopites.

2. The same or similar dishes made without cheese.