Description
A delightful spinach filo spiral pie featuring tender baby spinach, sautéed onions, and crumbly feta cheese wrapped in crispy, golden filo pastry. This savory pie is perfect as a light lunch or elegant appetizer, offering a harmonious blend of flaky texture and flavorful filling. With easy steps and a beautiful presentation, it’s a crowd-pleaser on any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 300g baby spinach
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 50g salted butter, melted, plus a knob for frying
Pastry
- 7 shop-bought filo sheets
- 1 tbsp nigella seeds
Instructions
- Cook the spinach: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring until wilted. No oil or water is needed as the spinach will steam in its own moisture. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer the spinach to a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop finely and place in a mixing bowl.
- Sauté the onion: Heat a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for approximately 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Transfer the cooked onion to the bowl with the chopped spinach.
- Combine filling ingredients: Add the crumbled feta to the spinach and onion mixture. Using a fork, stir gently until all ingredients are well combined. Taste the filling and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Prepare the pie dish: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) or gas mark 5. Lightly brush a 24 cm x 4 cm deep metal pie dish with some of the melted butter to prevent sticking.
- Assemble the filo spirals: Lay a filo sheet flat on your work surface and brush generously with melted butter. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the filling in a line along the longest edge of the pastry. Carefully roll the filo loosely into a long sausage shape—do not roll too tightly to avoid the pastry splitting.
- Form the spiral: Coil the filled filo roll into a spiral shape and place it in the center of the prepared pie dish.
- Repeat and arrange: Repeat the rolling and filling process with remaining filo sheets and filling, arranging the resulting spirals around the central spiral in the pie dish, forming a continuous coil.
- Final touches: Brush the tops of the assembled filo spirals with more melted butter and sprinkle evenly with nigella seeds. This will enhance flavor and add a visual finishing touch.
- Bake the pie: Place the pie dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the filo is golden brown and crisp.
- Serve: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- To make this pie vegan, substitute the feta with a drained jar of chopped artichoke hearts and a few olives, and use olive oil in place of butter for brushing and frying.
- Ensure the spinach is thoroughly squeezed to prevent soggy pastry.
- Handle filo pastry gently to prevent tearing.
- You can prepare the pie in advance and bake it fresh when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (spinach and onion cooking) + 30 minutes (baking)
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: spinach pie, filo pastry, savory pie, vegetarian, Mediterranean, feta cheese, nigella seeds, spinach filo pie, easy pie recipe
