Spinach Pie

I may or may not have completely skipped Thanksgiving recipes on this blog.  So little time and so many things to do.  Sorry friends, but I'm just going to twist things around and say that I was being a rebel.  This may also be known as "Oops.  I didn't get around to planning that far in advance."  Sorry.

But we press on...

You know those recipes you really want to make, but you keep putting off for some reason or another?  Yeah, I have those.  In fact, I have quite a few of them.  Most of those recipes involve yeast or phyllo dough.

Recently, I saw that one of those recipes that I have a love/hate relationship with, spanikopita, was remade by Beth M of Budget Bytes. Spanikopita is typically the second thing I order when I sit down at a Greek restaurant.  (Clearly, I order the saganaki, or flaming cheese first.  Seriously.  The cheese is set on fire.  You have to love it.  Hot, flaming cheese. Stop it now.)  I've always wanted to replicate the spanikopita I get at restaurants, but each recipe I took a look at required me to work with those dreaded phyllo sheets.  Nope.  Thanks.  Bye.

Then Beth turned things around with a single blog post.  I was introduced to the beautiful spinach pie.  It makes use of a puff pastry sheet, frozen spinach, and lots of cheese.  Yeah, let's do it!

Spinach Pie

slightly adapted from Budget Bytes

Print Recipe

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon habanero sauce (optional)
• 16 ounces frozen cut spinach, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
• 1 sheet (8 ounces) puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
• 2 tablespoons flour, for dusting
• 1 large egg, for glazing

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2) Dice the onion finely and mince the garlic.  Over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes, until softened and translucent.

3) In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and habanero sauce.  Mix well.

4) Strain the spinach in a colander, squeezing out the excess water.  Add the spinach to the bowl of cheeses and spices, along with the softened onions and garlic.  Stir until combined.

5) Sprinkle the flour over a flat, clean work surface.  Unfold the sheet of puff pastry, then use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a 12x12 inch square.

Yah. I can't roll a rectangular piece of puff pastry into a larger rectangle of puff pastry.  

No judgements.

6) Drape the pastry sheet over a standard 9" pie dish.

7) Fill the pie dish and pastry sheet with the spinach mixture.  Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling.  The edges may not touch.

8) Whisk the last egg in a small bowl and brush over the top of the pastry.

9) Bake the pie at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until the dough is a rich golden brown.

10) Allow the pie to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Spanikopita heaven!  OK, so not really spanikopita, but a great stand-in nonetheless.  I probably don't say it enough, but I love puff pastry.  It's just so crispy and delicious.  The buttery flakes are the perfect compliment to the slightly sweet and hearty spinach filling.  The habanero sauce provides a slight spiciness and the cheeses are deliciously creamy.  I could eat this every day until Christmas.  Watch me!