I absolutely love spinach pie. It’s rich, but not quite as heavy as a quiche, it has a deliciously flakey crust, and it works as a savory breakfast, brunch, or just anytime meal. It’s so good that I literally can’t wait to eat the leftovers, even though I know that puff pastry isn’t going to be crispy anymore. It just tastes so good.
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What is Spinach Pie?
This spinach pie is inspired by spanakopita, which is a savory Greek pie made with phyllo dough, feta, and spinach (see an authentic spanakopita recipe here). To make my spinach pie a little easier, I used a couple of short cuts: frozen spinach and frozen puff pastry dough. And then to keep the price on the lower side, I replaced the feta with cottage cheese (totally not similar cheeses, but it works here). The result is fast, easy, and still oh so delicious!
Where to Find Puff Pastry
The puff pastry dough is an important part of this recipe. You can find frozen puff pastry dough near the frozen desserts and frozen pie crusts in most major grocery stores. I used this one from Pepperidge Farm, but if you want to try making your own, check out this recipe for homemade puff pastry from my friend, Christina, at Dessert for Two.
Store-bought puff pastry usually comes in a box of two sheets, with each sheet folded into thirds. You only need one sheet, so save the second one for the next time you want to make spinach pie! You’ll also need to fully thaw the puff pastry before you begin, so make sure to take it out of the freezer at least an hour before you make your spinach pie.
What Else Can I Add to Spinach Pie?
This is another one of those recipes that can take a lot of fun add-ins. Try tossing in some chopped sun dried tomatoes, or maybe some cooked bacon. Or how about some feta cheese or roasted red peppers? A little bit of dill would also take the flavor up a notch!
Spinach Pie
Servings 8 slicesIngredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry ($2.40)
- 1 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($1.99)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 cup cottage cheese ($0.40)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 large eggs, divided ($0.63)
Instructions
- Make sure to take the puff pastry and spinach out ahead of time to thaw (spinach can be thawed quickly in the microwave, if needed, but do not thaw the puff pastry in the microwave). Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onions and garlic aside to cool slightly.
- Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and two of the eggs to a bowl, and stir to combine (save the third egg to brush on top of the pastry before baking).
- Squeeze out as much water as possible from the thawed spinach. Add the squeezed spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture. Stir to combine again.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface (or dust lightly with flour) and roll the thawed puff pastry out until it's just slightly larger, about 10×10 inches.
- Drape the rolled pastry dough out over a pie plate. Spread the spinach and cheese mixture inside the pastry dough, then take the corners and fold them in toward the center. The pastry will not fully cover the top, but that's okay (see step by step photos below).
- Lightly whisk the remaining egg and brush it over the surface of the pastry dough. Bake the spinach pie for about 45 minutes, or until the pasty on top has puffed up significantly and turned golden brown.
- Remove the spinach pie from the oven, let sit for about five minutes, then slice into eight pieces and serve.
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Equipment
Nutrition
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Love Spinach? Try these other spinach-licious recipes:
- Double Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Easy Creamed Spinach
- Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Mac and Cheese with Spinach
How to Make Spinach Pie – Step By Step Photos
Make sure to thaw one sheet of puff pastry and one pound of frozen chopped spinach before you begin. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dice one yellow onion and mince one clove of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Set the onion and garlic aside to cool slightly.
Add 1 cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 2 large eggs, ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine.
Squeeze out as much water from the thawed spinach as possible. This is really important because you don’t want your spinach pie to be soggy!
Add the spinach and sautéed onion and garlic to the bowl with the cheese mixture, then stir to combine again.
And now the spinach pie filling is complete! Let’s move on to the puff pastry.
You’re going to need the puff pastry to be a little larger than it is as it comes, so lay the pastry dough on a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface, then roll it out until it’s about 10×10 inches.
Drape the pastry dough over a pie dish. There should be enough to drape over the sides (you’ll fold that over the top after it’s filled).
Add the spinach and cheese mixture to the pie plate and spread it out evenly.
Fold the corners in toward the center (it’s okay if they don’t fully cover the top. Lightly whisk the last egg, then brush it over the surface of the puff pastry.
Bake the pie in the preheated 375ºF oven for 45 minutes, or until the pastry on top is puffed up and deeply golden brown. Let the pie sit for about five minutes before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.
It’s sooooo good!
can this be made WITHOUT the eggs? im pure vegetarian (midway between vegetarian and vegan) and cant have eggs.
The eggs are what hold everything together like glue, so if you do it without eggs the filling will be very loose.
This was absolutely wonderful and will make it often. I used ricotta simply because I already had it, and added a bit of dill weed and lemon zest, (making it “Greek”) and served with sliced tomatoes. Mine puffed and the bottom was not soggy, but I did bake on bottom oven rack. Thanks for a great recipe!
My family loved it, and we did eat it all (to include my 3,4 and 5 year-olds ). I didn’t have cottage cheese so I used feta. And didn’t have frozen, so I used fresh spinach that I sautéed with the onions to get the moisture out of them. This is a keeper! Will definitely make it again!
Hi there. Thanks for the recipe. It was pretty tasty, though the bottom of mine came out soggy. Maybe next time I’ll squeeze the liquid out of the spinach with a towel, and drain the cottage cheese? I also didn’t cut vents, will that help? Cooking in the bottom of the oven? I was testing this for a dinner party for next week so if you have any other tips I would really appreciate it!!! Thanks again.
What if you wanted to use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
Once the onions are sauéed, just add the spinach, a handful at a time, to the skillet until it’s all wilted. :)
Looks absolutely delicious! Will definitely be trying it this weekend :)
The puff pastry didn’t really puff up at all for me (probably my fault), so it was just like I had used a regular pie crust, but the spinach mixture is super tasty and all in all it’s a nice, comforting meal :)
Also, I think you should know that there’s a website that is using your exact recipe and pictures with no credit to you. here’s the link: http://www.quickneasyrecipes.net/spinach-pie/
Thanks for letting me know. :(
I made this for an Easter dinner appetizer and it was a big hit. I cut the pieces into 2 x 2 squares. They were firm, not runny. I used all feta cheese instead of the cottage as I had already purchased it. I doubled the recipe, rolled both sheets a couple inches longer and placed one sheet into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass plan. Placed the filling in next and topped with the other sheet. I tucked and sealed the sheets around the filling. Baking time approximately the same. Next time I will try and combo of feta and cottage cheese. Thank you for a great recipe!
Can you use both sheets of dough, and make in a 9×13 pan, one sheet on top and one on bottom? Probably need to double inside ingredients also.
That would probably work! :) Just keep an eye on it in the oven, too, because the baking time will probably be a little different as well.
Thank you, I’m deffinitley going to make this and will let you know the results!
How did it go? I’m planning to do the same.
Just curious about what you do with leftovers–how do you keep/store it for days after? I imagine putting it in the fridge would loose the wonderful crispiness of the crust. If it’s left to sit out, is the cheese okay to leave out on a counter? Also, how long does it keep?
Thanks! I love this blog. I make bacon Parmesan spinach pasta every week haha. Bacon is so easy to freeze and thaw!
I definitely wouldn’t leave this on the counter. It does get soft in the fridge, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I just reheated it briefly in the microwave. :)
Holy cow. This was so good. I have to say that we eat one of your recipes at least once a week. They are reliably good and I appreciate the fact that you use simple ingredients so I don’t have to buy a laundry list of weird stuff we’ll use once. You’re the best!
Good morning Beth!! I made this dish for dinner last night and it is amazing! It’s really easy and has a great flavor. Thank you!!
I don’t like cottage cheese, what can I use to replace it????
Ricotta is probably the closest, but it still has a different flavor and texture.
I don’t like cottage cheese either but I loved this. It doesn’t have the texture or taste of the cheese when it’s done.
I don’t like cottage cheese, either, but when you bake it, it’s a totally different flavor. Give it a try. Seriously.
Hi, I was wondering if I could sub the pastry dough for pillsbury pie crust dough? Thank you! :]
You can, but it won’t be that nice light, fluffy, layered crust that the phyllo dough makes. :)
Yum!!! Made this spinach pie for Thanksgiving this year. Great recipe; easy, and really tasty. Thanks!! :)