I LOVE spanakopita. Unfortunately, I have a gluten allergy, so I never get to order it in a restaurant. However, this easy spanakopita recipe uses lasagna noodles in place of the traditional filo. It is quick to make and an easy gluten-free option!
Best of all spanakopita is the perfect way to feature homemade feta cheese. If you haven’t made cheese before, but are interested in trying it out, then I recommend feta. It’s easy to do, tastes great, and is so much more affordable than buying it!
A Traditional Recipe Without Filo
Unlike other spanakopita lasagna recipes, this isn’t a fusion of Italian and Greek. It’s just like the filo pastry spanakopita with one simple exception… it doesn’t use filo.
Not that I have anything against filo… but gluten-free filo is expensive and hard to come by.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to swap lasagna noodles for filo:
- Can’t find filo in your local grocery store, or you’re looking for a more affordable alternative (whether your GF or not).
- Filo is a bit fiddly… even if you’re using store-bought.
- You forgot to defrost it ahead of time and now you’re stuck for an alternative.
- With lasagna noodles, it’s easy to make a bunch of spanakopita and freeze it for quick and healthy weeknight dinners. To bake a frozen spanakopita, either defrost in the fridge the day before and bake as described in the recipe, or bake from frozen, placing the spanakopita in the oven when you turn it on to preheat. Baking from frozen usually takes at least 1 hour.
Whatever the reason, swapping lasagna noodles for filo is easy.
Spanakopita Lasagna
This easy spanakopita uses lasagna noodles instead of filo. It is a simple and delicious vegetarian meal that offers an easy gluten-free alternative.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 box of lasagna noodles
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 lbs cleaned fresh spinach or 2 packages of frozen spinach (600 g /21 oz)
- 6 spring onions, diced
- 3/4 cup fresh dill
- 3/4 lbs feta cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup of mozzarella, grated
Instructions
- Pre-cook the lasagne noodles, then rinse with cool water and drizzle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. If using gluten-free noodles, then simply soak the noodles in warm water while you prepare the filling. They should soften after 15 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and spring onions, saute until the leaves have wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off about 8-10 minutes. If using frozen spinach, I recommend defrosting the spinach ahead of time and squeezing out the extra liquid before adding it to the pan. It will greatly reduce the cooking time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- When the spinach is cool, mix in the dill, feta and eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste. The exact amount of salt needed will depend on the saltiness of the feta.
- Cover the bottom of your lasagna pan with a drizzle of olive oil, then top with a layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping the noodles to create a solid bottom.
- Spread the spinach filling out on top of the noodles in an even layer. Then cover with a second layer of lasagna noodles. Finish off with the grated mozzarella.
- Bake at 350F for 30-45 min.
- Spanakopita tastes best when served at room temperature. Otherwise, store leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
- Flat lasagna noodles
are best in this recipe. I usually use this gluten-free brand
(affiliate links).
- Spanakopita is a perfect addition to a Greek feast. Serve it with a salad, cultured hummus and tzatziki!
are best in this recipe. I usually use this 
(affiliate links).Keywords: easy, simple, gluten free, vegetarian, lasagna. Mediterranean, spring, fall, winter
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