Spinach and feta pie
75 min · 24 g protein · 330 cals / serving
A Greek-style spinach pie in the spirit of spanakopita: a deep, herby filling of spinach, feta, cottage cheese, dill and mint, baked under shattering layers of filo brushed with olive oil. Served warm or at room temperature, it cuts into neat squares for dinner or a packed lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
Filling
- 1 bunch green onion, sliced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 lb 4 oz spinach, or 800 g (1 3/4 lb) frozen, thawed
- 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 2/3 cups cottage cheese (1%)
- 4 eggs
- a large handful fresh dill, chopped
- a small handful fresh mint, chopped
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 6 sheets (5 oz) phyllo dough, thawed
Steps
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in your largest pan over medium heat and cook the green onion and onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the spinach in handfuls, letting each wilt before adding the next, then tip it into a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and chop it.
- In a bowl, mix the spinach with the feta, cottage cheese, eggs, dill, mint, nutmeg and pepper. It needs no salt; the feta brings it.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 23×33 cm (9×13-inch) dish lightly with oil. Lay in 3 sheets of filo, brushing each lightly with oil and letting the edges hang over the sides. Spread in the filling, fold the overhang over it, then top with the remaining 3 sheets, brushing each, and tuck the edges down the sides.
- Score the top into 6 or 12 pieces with a sharp knife (just through the filo, not the filling) and bake for 45–50 minutes until deep golden and the centre reads 160°F; tent loosely with foil if the top darkens before 35 minutes. Rest 15 minutes before cutting along the scored lines.
Good to know
My filo keeps tearing. Does it matter?
Not at all. Patch it with another piece; nobody will see the inner layers. Keep the sheets you are not using under a damp towel so they do not dry out and crack.
Why cottage cheese as well as feta?
Greek cooks often mix feta with a soft fresh cheese such as anthotyro or ricotta to keep the filling creamy rather than salty. Cottage cheese does the same job and sets beautifully with the eggs.
Can I make it ahead?
Assemble it up to a day ahead, cover and chill, then bake straight from the fridge with 10 minutes added. Leftovers re-crisp in a hot oven in 10 minutes.
Per
- Calories
- 134
- Protein
- (31%)
- 10 g
- Fat
- (42%)
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- (27%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 357 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1978 kcal goes into the pot and 2142 g of ingredients comes out as about 1480 g of food: 134 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.