Spanakopita Pasta Recipe

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions (usually 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside.

Sauté aromatics

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes; do not let the garlic brown.

Wilt the spinach

Add the packed 10 oz spinach to the pan in batches if needed, stirring until wilted and any excess liquid mostly evaporates, about 3–4 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry, add 1–2 tbsp of reserved pasta water.

Build the sauce

Reduce heat to low. Stir in the crumbled 8 oz feta, 1 cup Greek yogurt (or ricotta), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp red pepper flakes if using. Add 1 cup reserved pasta water or milk slowly, stirring until the mixture becomes a creamy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss gently to coat, heating together for 1–2 minutes so pasta absorbs the sauce. If sauce is too thick, add additional reserved pasta water, 1–2 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat.

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment.

Layer and crisp phyllo

Unroll thawed phyllo sheets and keep remaining sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Stack 3–4 sheets, brush the top sheet lightly with a mixture of the melted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, then crumple or tear into rough bite-sized pieces (about 1–1.5 inch). Repeat with remaining sheets to create a pile of crumpled phyllo pieces. Spread pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, brush any exposed pieces lightly with remaining butter, and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds if using. Bake until golden and crispy, 6–10 minutes, checking frequently to avoid burning. Remove and let cool — they will crisp more as they cool.

Alternative pan method (optional)

You may also make the phyllo crisp directly on top of the assembled pasta in an oven-safe dish: sprinkle crumpled brushed phyllo over the assembled pasta and bake at 400°F for 8–12 minutes until the phyllo is golden. If using this method, reduce total oven time to avoid overcooking pasta.

Assemble

Transfer the tossed pasta to a serving bowl or leave in the sauté pan. Sprinkle an extra 2 oz crumbled feta over the top.

Top with phyllo

Scatter the cooled crispy phyllo pieces over the pasta just before serving so they remain crunchy.

Garnish and serve

Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the dish and add lemon wedges on the side. Serve immediately so phyllo stays crispy. Offer additional chopped dill/parsley and red pepper flakes at the table.