Spinach Pie with Ricotta and Feta

Crispy phyllo shattering when you cut into it. Spinach and ricotta filling still warm underneath. Three cloves of garlic but you barely taste it—just something happening in the background. Had ten pounds of spinach from the farmers market and no real plan. This happened.

Why You’ll Love This Spinach Pie

Takes 48 minutes start to finish if you don’t overthink it. Vegetarian dinner that doesn’t taste like you’re eating salad for dinner. The phyllo gets actually crispy—not chewy, not soggy. Tastes better the next day cold, maybe even better than hot. One baking dish. Everything comes together in there.

What You Need for Spinach Ricotta Pie

Olive oil—six tablespoons. Not extra virgin. Regular olive oil. Extra virgin burns.

Two shallots, finely diced. Not onion. Shallots are sweeter and they disappear into the filling. Three garlic cloves minced. Not a paste. Just minced.

Two pounds of fresh spinach. Tightly packed. Looks like way too much until you cook it down. Then it becomes like a cup of actual spinach. That’s the point.

Fresh parsley—a quarter cup chopped. Not dried. Dried tastes like hay. One large egg beaten. One cup of ricotta cheese. Make sure it’s drained—push it through a fine-mesh strainer if it’s wet. One cup feta crumbled. Kosher salt. One teaspoon.

Fourteen sheets of phyllo dough thawed. Don’t use it frozen. It’ll crack. Half a cup of unsalted butter melted. That’s your glue.

How to Make Spinach Feta Pie

Set the oven to 350°F. Grease the baking dish—nine by nine inches. Oil works. Spray works. Either one.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the shallots and garlic. Stir it. You want it soft and translucent, not brown. Three to four minutes. It’ll smell good before it’s done. That’s your cue.

Add the spinach and parsley. Use tongs—seriously, a spoon won’t work. Keep tossing until the spinach collapses. It goes from this huge pile to basically nothing. Stops being bright green and gets dark. That’s when you pull it off the heat. Don’t wait. Overcook it even a minute and it gets mushy.

Let it cool. Five to seven minutes. You need it cold enough that you can add the egg without scrambling it.

How to Get Crispy Phyllo and Creamy Filling

Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Mix in the drained ricotta, crumbled feta, and salt. Actually drain the spinach before you add it—squeeze it in your hands. Get as much water out as you can. Then fold everything together. Gently. You’re not trying to whip it.

Line the bottom of the baking dish with one sheet of phyllo. It’s going to hang over the sides. That’s fine. Brush it with melted butter. Then another sheet. Brush it. Again. Again. Four sheets total on the bottom. They’re thin. They need butter between every single one or they stick together in a horrible lump.

Spoon the spinach filling over the phyllo base. Even it out. Fold those hanging edges up and toward the center. Looks kind of messy and folded and rustic. That’s exactly what you want.

Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top. Ten sheets. Brush each one with butter before you add the next. Be generous. Phyllo without butter is cardboard. Tuck the sides into the dish so it’s sealed. Fold them under if they’re too long.

Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Watch it. The phyllo should be deep golden and the edges should be actually crisp. If the top’s getting dark before the bottom is cooked—and it might—tent it loosely with foil. Just drape it over the top. Keeps it from burning.

Let it cool at least ten minutes before you cut into it. The filling needs to set or it leaks everywhere. Slices fall apart hot. Cold—actually cold—they hold together.

Spinach Pie Tips and What Goes Wrong

Don’t skip cooling the spinach down. Warm spinach plus beaten egg equals scrambled egg in your pie. Not the texture you want.

Phyllo is sensitive. Keep it under a slightly damp towel while you work so it doesn’t dry out and crack. Take out one sheet at a time. Put the rest back under the towel.

The ricotta has to be drained. Wet ricotta makes a soggy pie. Push it through a strainer. Press it. Get the water out.

Feta is salty. Taste the filling before you bake it. You might not need the full teaspoon of salt. Probably will, but taste it anyway.

The filling can sit in the fridge covered for a day before you assemble the pie. Phyllo’s better the same day you build it, but it holds overnight.

Spinach Pie with Ricotta and Feta

By Emma

Prep:

20 min

Cook:

28 min

Total:

48 min

Servings:

9 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 pounds fresh spinach tightly packed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese drained
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 14 sheets phyllo dough thawed
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

Method

1. 1 Set oven to 350°F. Grease 9x9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray or brush oil.
2. 2 Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and garlic. Cook stirring, soften just until fragrant and translucent, not brown—about 3-4 minutes.
3. 3 Add fresh spinach and parsley. Use tongs to toss continuously until spinach collapses, shrinks, and loses raw edge but stays bright. Remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking. Let cool 5-7 minutes to avoid curdling egg.
4. 4 Beat egg in medium bowl. Mix in well-drained ricotta, crumbled feta, and salt. Squeeze leftover water from spinach before adding to egg-cheese mixture. Fold together gently but thoroughly.
5. 5 Line bottom of baking dish with one sheet of phyllo dough, letting edges hang over sides. Brush with melted butter. Repeat 3 more times layering and buttering between sheets. Ends will drape; tuck after filling.
6. 6 Spoon spinach and cheese filling evenly over phyllo base. Fold phyllo edges toward center to contain filling. It looks messy but that’s rustic charm.
7. 7 Layer remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet liberally with butter. Tuck sides into dish carefully to seal.
8. 8 Bake uncovered for about 28-32 minutes until phyllo is deep golden and edges crisp. If top darkens too fast, tent loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
9. 9 Remove from oven, allow to cool at least 10 minutes for filling to set and flavors meld before slicing and serving.

Nutritional information

Calories

280

Protein

10g

Carbs

15g

Fat

20g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Baked Spinach Ricotta Pie

Can you make this ahead? The filling’s fine in the fridge for a day. Assemble the pie and bake it the same day if you can. Phyllo gets tough sitting around once it’s layered.

What if your phyllo breaks while you’re working? It will. It always does. Just smooth it out in the dish. You’re layering fourteen sheets. One torn sheet doesn’t matter. Nobody’s going to know.

Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh? Yeah. Thaw it first. Squeeze out all the water. Seriously all of it. Frozen spinach holds more water than fresh and you’ll end up with a pie that weeps.

Should you add more garlic? If you want to. Three cloves is subtle. Four is noticeable. Five is garlic pie with spinach in it. Depends what you’re after.

How do you know when it’s done baking? The phyllo is deep golden. Not light. Not pale. Actual gold. The edges should sound crispy when you move the dish. If the top is gold but the edges are still soft, give it another three minutes.

Does the filling need to be completely cold before you assemble it? Room temperature is fine. You just can’t use it hot or the egg scrambles. Cool it for at least five minutes.

Can you serve this hot or cold? Both work. Hot it’s softer. Cold it slices better and the flavors are clearer somehow. Make it twice and try it both ways.