RecipesPies & Baked Goods

Quick & delicious Spinach Pie

by Micaela Harrasser

This is one of my all-time favorite family recipes! And yes, the secret is the bechamel sauce instead of the more ‘traditional’ recipe with the ricotta. If you want a lighter version and dairy is your friend, you can definitely switch the bechamel sauce with ricotta (250g should be enough). This pie can be enjoyed hot or cold, is perfect for a nice sunny spring day (did you miss picnics as much as I did?) and I always make it for Easter Sunday instead of the traditional Torta pasqualina (spinach & ricotta pie with..12 eggs!!).

For this recipe I use freshly boiled spinach, but you can definitely use frozen ones too. I like to think this pie is (relatively) healthy because of the high spinach content! When I assemble it, I like to do my mum’s finishing tough of cracking an egg on top before covering it, then wait for the surprise when I slice it! You can omit it though.

This veggie dish can be made dairy free by using margarine/vegan butter and non-dairy milk with the bechamel sauce (make sure to use a non-sweetened milk) and use a vegan cheese.

As most things, the pie is delicious when eaten the following day, so I love prepping this on a weeknight to have it ready for the next day to enjoy, it makes a perfect lunch to take away!

[rating]

Quick & delicious Spinach Pie

Serves: 6x as main Prep Time: Cooking Time: Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

For a 20x25cm dish:

  • 400g fresh spinach to boil
  • For the bechamel sauce: 35g butter + 35g flour + 200ml milk + salt pepper and nutmeg to taste
  • 20g grated parmigiano reggiano
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • 2x pastry sheets

Instructions

  1. First, rinse and boil the spinach if using fresh.
  2. Turn the oven on 180C and take your pastry sheets out of the fridge.
  3. In a small frying pan add a small knob of butter, then once melted add the spinach.
  4. On a gentle heat, mix them through to flavor them and break them down using a sturdy spatula.
  5. While they cook gently, take care of the bechamel sauce: in a non-stick pot add the flour and the butter, mix well and cook on a gentle heat for a few minutes (this will remove the ‘floury taste’ from the flour.
  6. Slowly add the milk, keep mixing with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.
  7. Once you add all the milk, keep cooking on gentle heat until you reach the desired consistency (you want it pretty tick, otherwise the pie will be too liquid and soggy).
  8. Once you get there, add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. You want this extra rich to balance the spinach.
  9. Once everything is ready, you can assemble: place the first sheet on the pie dish, and with a fork pierce the bottom a few times to allow air to escape. Combine the sauce with the spinach and about 80% of the grated cheese, and mix well.
  10. Add the mixture to the pie dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

  11. Eventually crack the egg on top, then add the extra pastry sheet on top. If you want you can egg-wash the top to get that golden color.

  12. Place in the lower part of the oven and cook for 35-45 min, until the crust on top is puffed and golden.

Notes

Storage: you can store in the fridge up to 3 days. It can also be eaten cold, making it a great meal for summer!

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