I love spinach pie. It’s rich but not as heavy as quiche. It has a fantastic flakey crust and is a great healthy breakfast, brunch, or any time. It’s so tasty that I’m eager to devour the leftovers even though I know that the puff pastry won’t be able to be as crispy anymore. It’s just delicious.
WHAT IS SPINACH PIE?
This spinach pie is inspired by spanakopita, a tasty Greek pie made from phyllo dough, feta, and spinach (see the authentic spanakopita recipe here). To simplify the spinach pie, I used two shortcuts that included fresh spinach in the freezer and frozen puff pastry. To keep the cost lower, I substituted the cottage cheese with feta (totally not a similar cheese; however, it is a great substitute). The result is quick, easy, and delicious!
WHERE TO FIND PUFF PASTRY
The puff pastry dough is essential to this recipe. It is possible to find frozen puff pastry dough in frozen desserts and pie crusts frozen in many major supermarkets. I used this recipe I purchased from Pepperidge Farm, but If you’re interested in making it yourself, look up the recipe to complete your puff pastry from my friend Christina from Dessert for Two.
Puff pastry from the grocery store is typically packaged in two-sheet boxes. Each sheet is folded in thirds. It’s only necessary to use just one, and you can keep another one to use the next time you want to make a spinach pie! Also, you’ll need to freeze the puff pastry before you start, so pull it out of the freezer for at least an hour before preparing this spinach pie.
WHAT ELSE CAN I ADD TO SPINACH PIE?
Another recipe that will require several fun additions. You can add some sun-dried tomatoes, chopped or perhaps cooked bacon. What about feta cheese or roast red peppers? A pinch of dill can also bring the flavor to the next level!
INGREDIENTS
One sheet of puff pastry ($2.40)
One lb. frozen chopped spinach ($1.99)
One yellow onion ($0.32)
One clove of garlic ($0.08)
One tablespoon of olive oil ($0.16)
1 cup cottage cheese ($0.40)
1 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
1/8 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
14 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Three large eggs, split ($0.63)
INSTRUCTIONS
Be sure to take your puff pastry and spinach out before thawing (spinach can be quickly thawed in the microwave if needed; however, make sure not to defrost it in the microwave). The oven should be preheated to 375oF.
Cut the onion into dice and mince the garlic. Add the garlic, onion, and olive oil to an oil pan and cook at medium-low temperature until the onions become tender and transparent. Set the garlic and onions aside to cool.
Incorporate the cottage cheese Parmesan, nutmeg, salt pepper, salt, and two eggs into a bowl and mix to combine (save the egg from the third egg to paint on top of the pastry before baking).
Get as much water as you can from the frozen spinach. Add the spinach you squeezed and sauteed onions and garlic to the bowl and cheese mix. Stir to mix again.
Lay a sheet of parchment on the workspace (or dust it lightly using flour) and then roll the thawed puff pastry until it’s a little larger than 10×10 inches.
Spread the pastry dough that has been rolled across an oven-safe pie plate. Spread the cheese and spinach mixture in the pastry dough. Finally, make a fold with the corners, then fold them towards the middle. The dough won’t fully cover the top. However, that’s fine (see step-by-step pictures below).
Whisk the egg lightly and apply it to the top of the pastry dough. Bake the pie with spinach for around 45 minutes or until the pastry topping has grown considerably and is golden brown.
Take the spinach pie out of the oven and rest for approximately five minutes. Slice into eight pieces, and serve.
