Filling

The first task is to cook the spinach until just after the point where it wilts and then press out any excess water. Cooking to this point takes about 5 minutes at a medium temperature.

Wash the spinach before cooking, let it sit in a pot for 5 minutes and then pour out any excess liquid that has dropped from the leaves.

Strain the cooked spinach through a colander and allow it to cool.

Chop the green onions

Slice the cooled mound of spinach across two axis into a pile of cubes. This will allow the filling to mix better, and will eliminate long bits of stem

Put the chopped spinach into a bowl with the onions and herbs if you are using them

Crumble the feta into the bowl and add the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly.

Crust

Make sure you have a large, clean, dry area for the filo and prepare a 20cm x 20cm 8x8” pan for the pie if this is a dinner item, or a 23cm x 33cm (9”x13”) pan if you are making appetizers

With clean, dry hands, place the layers of phyllo on top of each other, one by one, brushing each layer liberally and completely with a coating of olive oil.

Make sure you use enough oil...there should be no dry spots.

When you have at least 6 layers of oiled filo, oiling the last layer as well to prevent soaking into the crust, place the stack of sheets in the pan, fitting it to the sides and fill with the spinach mixture.

Fold the edges inwards, neatly.

Using another 2 layers of phyllo, oil and stack as before, with oil on the final layer as well.

Fold the ends of the layers inward about 1” - 2” on either side of the long edge, and the two ends of the long edge towards each other to meet in the middle. Flip this assembly upside-down on top of the pie

Cut the top of the crust into your desired number of serving pieces before baking. It will be a mess if you do it afterwards

Bake at 180c (350º) for 40 minutes. Remove when the crust is an even, golden brown. IF it seems to cook too quickly, lower the temperature by 15c (25º)

Note:

254 gr phyllo is about ½ of a commercial package of phyllo, you could double the recipe, especially for a party, or you could also make baklava, or you can vacuum-seal the the leftover dough, or wrap it carefully in multiple layers of plastic with the least amount of air under the plastic to prevent drying in the freezer

If you are making appetizers you may wish to make triangles, or rolled spanakopita. I personally find the rolled version to be much simpler to make, but triangles have some advantages.

If there are a lot of pieces and guests to serve, triangles can be easier to load onto a plate for service. They can also be easier for people at a standing party to handle as hors d'oeuvres, although the rolls are not particularly onerous.