Spinach Pie
With the clocks changing this weekend and the days stretching a little longer, here is my version of a classic spinach and feta pie, serve warm with salad and some hard boiled eggs.
Welcome to Notes from my Spring Kitchen you are warmly invited to join me as I cook through the seasons.
Our school term has ended and we are just about to change the clocks in the UK, which beckons longer, lighter and eventually warmer days. With that I have been planning easy, family recipes that work well for a crowd and ideally stretch to leftovers. Simple, generous cooking for relaxed gatherings, and creating memories at home and with those we love.
In the UK spring greens and spinach come into their own from March and are at the best until May and so they are my focus this week. They are a stepping stone between hardy Winter brassicas and soft Summer lettuces. There is lots of variety to choose from: baby leaf spinach, perpetual spinach and outdoor spring spinach varieties. Other leafy spring greens I seek out are fiery watercress, plentiful wild garlic, citrus flavoured sorrel and baby spring cabbages. Spinach is soft and gently yields to silky for soups, sauces, pies, or a simple side. Spring greens have more bite and texture. Wild greens have a hit of peppery flavour which is beautiful for pestos, to have with pasta or add into soups.
Returning to spinach and some of my favourite recipe building blocks to pair with it: eggs, cream, cheese, lemon and soft herbs. This week’s recipe brings together two of spinach’s happiest companions: feta and plenty of dill. It’s one I’ve worked on and simplified over time and whilst I love it just as it is you can adapt the recipe depending on what you have to hand.
A few notes as you make it:
Fresh Vs frozen spinach
I tend to cook this with fresh spinach, but it does require quite a lot of work to sauté it down in batches. If you’d prefer a quicker route, frozen spinach works. Defrost it overnight in a sieve set over a bowl, then press out as much water as possible before using. The result is just as good.Cheese variations
Feta gives a lovely saltiness, but you can layer in other cheeses too: Parmesan, mature cheddar, ricotta, Gruyère or shredded mozzarella all work well.Herb swaps
Dill is classic here, but parsley or mint are equally delicious alternatives, or use a combination of all three.Extra vegetables
You can build this out with softened onions, spring onions, peppery rocket or chard. All of which I have tried and enjoyed.
Recipe of the Week
Spinach and Feta Pie
Spinach pie appears in many forms and cultures, across Europe and the Middle East, it is simple, comforting and endlessly adaptable. Here I am sharing my version of a spinach pie with feta cheese and dill wrapped in crisp filo pastry. I found this method of shaping the filling into rolls, then coiling them into a circular spiral to form the pie. Not only does it create the perfect ratio of filling to pastry, it is easy to assemble and looks impressive too. I would recommend serving the spinach pie warm with a tomato salad and some hard boiled eggs. It also makes wonderful leftovers for lunch the following day.
Serves 4-6
1kg of fresh baby spinach leaves (x3 large bags spinach)
200g feta cheese, crumbled by hand
1/3 cup of dried breadcrumbs
1 cup of chopped spring onions
1/4 cup of fresh dill, finely chopped
3 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper, to season
270g filo pastry (1 packet)
olive oil
sea salt
Preheat the oven to 190C fan oven.
Prep the spinach, in batches sauté the spinach in a little olive oil until wilted. Remove the spinach to a sieve set over a deep tray, to help drain excess liquid. Repeat until all the spinach has been sautéed and wilted down. Once all the spinach is cooked press out any remaining liquid, you want the spinach to be dense with as little water as possible.
In a large bowl combine the cooked and drained spinach with crumbled feta cheese, dried breadcrumbs, chopped spring onions, dill and eggs. Season with black pepper. I don’t personally add salt, as the feta cheese seasons the filling.
Take the dish for making your pie and brush with olive oil. Then take a first sheet of filo pastry and brush with olive oil, add a heaped spoon of the filling and spread it along the length of the filo sheet in one long line, rolling the filo pastry to encase the filling in a long cigar shape. Place in your pie dish and repeat. Each roll of filled pastry meeting the last and coming inwards to create a circular shape. You can pack the dish as tightly as possible. Once complete brush the top with a little more olive oil and scatter with a few pinches of sea salt.
Place in the pre heated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cooked the pastry will be golden and the filling should be bubbling away inside it. Serve warm and enjoy.
About Notes from my Kitchen
I write from my London kitchen, sharing the food and flavours of my English childhood: recipes rooted in seasonality, memory and home.
Much of my inspiration comes from my late mother, her Kentish kitchen and her much-loved garden, which she designed and built herself. It remains a place that shapes how I cook and think about food, and one I hope to share with you through the seasons. Revisiting her recipes and reimagining her cooking brings both comfort and a sense of belonging.
