Description
A delicious and flaky spinach filo spiral pie featuring tender baby spinach, caramelized onions, and crumbled feta cheese wrapped in crisp filo pastry, baked to golden perfection. This savory pie is perfect as a snack, appetizer, or light meal and can be adapted to vegan by substituting ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 300g baby spinach
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 200g feta, crumbled
Pastry and Toppings
- 7 shop-bought filo sheets
- 50g salted butter, melted, plus a knob for frying
- 1 tbsp nigella seeds
Instructions
- Wilt the Spinach: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook while stirring until wilted, allowing it to steam in its own moisture without adding oil or water. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Drain Spinach: Transfer the wilted spinach onto a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible to prevent soggy pastry. Chop finely and place in a mixing bowl.
- Cook Onions: Heat a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 10 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Combine Filling: Add the cooked onions to the spinach in the bowl. Stir in the crumbled feta using a fork until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Prepare Oven and Dish: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/Gas mark 5. Brush a 24cm diameter, 4cm deep metal pie dish with some melted butter to prevent sticking and enhance flavor.
- Assemble Filo Rolls: Lay one filo sheet on a clean work surface and brush with melted butter. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture along the longest edge of the filo. Roll the pastry loosely into a long sausage shape, being careful not to roll too tightly to avoid tearing.
- Form Spiral: Coil the rolled filo gently and place it into the center of the prepared pie dish. Repeat the process with the remaining filo sheets and filling, arranging the coils in a circular pattern around the central coil to form a spiral pie.
- Finish and Bake: Brush the top of the assembled filo spiral with more melted butter and sprinkle evenly with nigella seeds for an aromatic finish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the filo is golden brown and crisp.
Notes
- For a vegan version, replace feta with drained and chopped jarred artichoke hearts and a few olives, and use olive oil instead of butter.
- Ensure all excess moisture is removed from the spinach to keep the filo crisp.
- Handle filo sheets carefully as they dry out quickly; keep unused sheets covered with a damp cloth.
- This pie is best served warm but can be enjoyed at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: spinach pie, filo pastry, Greek pie, savory pie, vegetarian pie, spinach and feta, nigella seeds, Mediterranean recipe
