Spinach and Feta Pie

Are you looking for an indulgent vegetarian meal with rich, cheesy filling and flaky, buttery crust? This Spinach and Feta Pie is the answer! I've been making this pie in some form or another for years. Like a lot of my recipes, this one was created as a restaurant dupe. I include some fennel seed in the filling because it's the way it was flavored at one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants. I add a bit of mozzarella to help firm up the filling. Finally, I like to make the pie in a round pie plate with a free-form crust rather than cover the spinach filling completely. It's not traditional, but it's a tasty at-home alternative to spanakopita. This savory pie delivers a serving of spinach in the most delicious way.

This Spinach and Feta Pie might look familiar to you if you've ever enjoyed spanakopita at a Mediterranean restaurant. Much like traditional Greek spanakopita, this pie has a filling of spinach and feta cheese and a flaky phyllo crust. Spanakopita are often roll- or triangle-shaped hand pies, surrounded by layers of buttery, flaky phyllo. It can also be prepared in a slab pie form, where the filling is encased in a crust of phyllo and the whole thing is baked in a rectangular dish. Often the filling includes eggs to help hold it together, but I've opted for more cheese (surprise, surprise) instead. Spanakopita often includes additional herbs like parsley or dill, but this recipe sticks to spinach alone for simplicity.

Ingredients

There aren't a load of ingredients to gather here, and I find everything at my local supermarket with ease. I think the most daunting ingredient for a lot of people is the phyllo dough. It's located in the freezer section where you'd find puff pastry or other pie dough. The brand I buy comes in two plastic rolls for each box, so you'll have enough to do this recipe twice. While you are in the freezer section, grab a pound of frozen chopped spinach. Frozen spinach is the easiest to use here; a pound of fresh spinach leaves would take up an entire shelf of my refrigerator! Pick up two cheeses: crumbled feta and mozzarella. Don't use the fresh mozzarella in water, there will be too much moisture for the pie. Finally, you need pantry ingredients like pepper, fennel seed, butter, and olive oil.

Preparing Spinach and Feta Pie

Start by cooking the filling. I usually take my bagged spinach out of the freezer for a bit before I start, but dumping it into the pan entirely frozen will totally work. It just takes more time to cook down. If your spinach comes in a block, however, it's best to thaw it ahead of time and allow it to drain over a mesh strainer. Add oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Toast the fennel seeds, garlic, salt, and pepper until everything is fragrant. Add the spinach and cook it until all of the moisture has evaporated. You really don't want to add soggy filling to your pie! Transfer the spinach to a bowl to cool before adding in the cheeses and mixing everything together. Make the crust while the spinach cools.

Phyllo isn't too scary if you work quickly and start with *completely* thawed dough. If the dough is even a bit frozen, it will give you trouble. Melt the butter in a small bowl and add the olive oil. Roll the phyllo sheets out on your countertop and cover with a clean kitchen towel while you work. Grease the pie plate with the butter mixture and a pastry brush and then add the first sheet of phyllo. Then, alternate the butter mixture with a sheet of dough over and over again until you've built up a crust. I get a bit mathematical about it and do a cross with the first two sheets of dough and then an "x" with the next two sheets, repeating this pattern four times. Just make sure you have an even covering of pastry over the whole dish. The dough will drape over the sides, this is what we'll form the edges with before baking.

Baking the Spinach and Feta Pie

Add your cooled spinach to the finished crust and spread it out evenly. Roll and crumple the excess dough to form the edges. No need to be too fussy here, those layers are going to bake up beautifully however they are draped. Use the remaining butter mixture to brush the edges. Bake the Spinach and Feta pie for about 25 minutes before opening the oven for a peek. If the crust is golden, cover the pie lightly with foil before cooking for an additional 15 minutes. If the crust needs a bit more time to develop a golden color, leave the foil off a bit longer. Remove the pie from the oven after 40 minutes and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Spinach and Feta Pie

Once the pie has cooled, I like to remove it from the pie plate to a cutting board for easy slicing. You don't want to crush all of those beautiful layers by trying to slice it in the pan! It takes a couple of spatulas, but moving it to the cutting board isn't too hard. Slice the Spinach and Feta Pie with a serrated knife to make the cleanest slices.

This pie is a great lunch treat for guests, a side dish for a big dinner spread, or makes a meal all on its own. I serve it with a green salad and crisp white wine to complete the meal when we have it as the main dish at dinner. I find the best way to reheat it is to bake individual slices on parchment paper at 375F until heated through. Cover them with foil if the crust is getting too dark. If you have a toaster oven, the slices reheat well there too.

Try It and Share

I hope you try this Spinach and Feta Pie and share the recipe with family or friends. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.

If you are looking for other savory pastry ideas, try these Turkey Curry Turnovers or Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche!

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