Filas / Tiropita / Spanikopita
In our family, we called the triangular filo-dough pastries ‘filas’ whether they were filled with cheese only or with cheese and spinach.
Tori Avey in the online recipe I enclose calls these ‘bourekas’ but this is what our family would call ‘filas’
There are variations of which cheeses to use depending on which recipe. For now, I’ve settled on the following:
Ingredients
12
8
3–4
¼
2–3
1
oz. crumbled feta
oz. fresh ricotta
oz. parmesan
tsp. freshly ground pepper
eggs
tbsp. olive oil (about)
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°
Step 2
Grease with olive oil 9 × 13 casserole dish
Step 3
mix cheeses/spinach
Step 4
Beat eggs in separate bowl and add to cheese mixture along with one tablespoon olive oil
Step 5
Remove filo sheet, put on bottom of casserole dish. Then another filo sheet, up to 5–6.
Step 6
5–6 layers of filo on bottom, then add cheese / cheese and spinach mixture, then 5–6 layers on top.
Step 7
Brush top layer of filo.
Step 8
Can add white or black sesame seeds on top if you want.
Step 9
Score through the top layers of filo dough. some recipes say score all the way through, others just through the top layers and then cut at those points when done.
Step 10
Bake about 40 minutes. be sure bottom is baked. turn off oven and put back in oven for five or ten minutes to make a little drier.
Step 11
Let cool for 15 minutes or so before cutting.
Notes
This is the filling I would use for making ‘filas’ (the triangle-shaped pastries) and also what I use to make ‘tiropita’ (the casserole version, cut up into squares and rectangles, with filo dough on bottom and top and filling in-between).
For Spanikopita—again as a casserole—I add a bunch or two of spinach and a little parsley. I have made this with cooked spinach (squeezed dry after cooking/wilting) and without cooking and both seem to work fine.
No salt is needed if you are using feta and/or parmesan, though you can add a little if you want.