Spinach Pie (Pastel de Espinaca)

This is a very old family recipe, it comes from my Northern Italian great-grandmother who, my mother informed me, had some Greek influence in her cooking. It's incredibly easy to fix and a staple at family gatherings and parties. Traditionally, this pie is made in a large rectangular casserole and served as an appetizer or party snack. I love it so much I usually have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Throw a poached egg over a slice and you've got a scrumptious brunch.

Recently, I began to make spinach pie as a more traditional round pie with a crust recipe all its own. I use a little bit of whole wheat flour and reduce the amount of butter to just 1/2 cup. The earthiness and texture of this crust compliments the spinach beautifully. Unlike a Greek spinach pie, this recipe comes together with a few eggs and Parmesan cheese, rather than feta. I like to use grated Parmesan, as it thickens the filling but I've used freshly shredded Parmesan as well. Whatever you use, make sure it is of high quality. Cheap cheese = bad pie.

I think I witnessed my mother boil fresh spinach once or twice for this recipe. We use 5 packages of frozen spinach, which equals a great deal of fresh spinach so unless you're growing it yourself or got a bulk discount at the farmer's market, stick to the frozen stuff. Also, you can save a lot of time and cleanup if you let the frozen spinach thaw overnight.

This recipe is a family staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It makes a wonderful side dish for those big holiday meals (or if you just need to nosh while the turkey is cooking). As it tastes best lukewarm or room temperature (and tastes even better the next day) you can easily bake this pie ahead of time and warm it in the oven when it's time to serve.

Ingredients


*For Crust*

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup butter, cubed
  • 3-5 tbsp ice water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg, for wash

*For Filling*

  • 5 packages frozen spinach, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt to taste
Instructions: 

Serving: 1 nine-inch pie
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour

  1. Start the crust first. Mix all the flour and add a dash of salt.
  2. Add the chopped butter, pressing the butter into the flour until it has a grated Parmesan cheese like consistency.
  3. Spoon in the ice water little by little until the dough comes together. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to rest.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large pot warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, salt lightly. The onion needs to cook until just barely translucent.
  5. Strain the spinach in a cheese cloth, remove as much water as possible. Add to the pot once the onions are translucent, stirring well.
  6. Reduce the heat to low, add the eggs and stir vigorously. Once the eggs are evenly stirred, add the Parmesan cheese and continue to stir.
  7. Turn off the heat, taste the mixture and salt accordingly. It's easy to over salt due to the Parmesan cheese; however, too little salt will make a bland pie.
  8. Set the spinach aside and turn back to the crust. Take the dough from the fridge and split into two equal pieces. One half will be the bottom of the crust and one half the top.
  9. Roll out the first half, place in your pie dish. Add the spinach mixture.
  10. Roll out the second half of the dough and cover the pie. Brush with egg wash and bake for an hour.
  11. Let cool for at least an hour. Served best lukewarm or room temperature.