Phyllo pie is one of the staples of the Mediterranean Diet. On the island of Crete, we make many different types of phyllo dough recipes from cheese pies to spinach pies to baklava. This vegetable phyllo pie is one of my favorite recipes from the time I was a kid to now. When I was younger, I would help my Mom roll out homemade phyllo. All of the ingredients were from our own land and this dish was made during zucchini season when zucchini were large and plentiful.
A few tips on working with the phyllo:
- If possible, if you are working with frozen phyllo, take out of the freezer the day before you are going to use it and put it in the fridge. This will give it a chance to thaw evenly.
- Work quickly with phyllo once you take it out of the box. Using a pastry brush, brush the pastry from the edges toward the center.
- Don’t worry if a few sheets rip. You can still use them, just layer them on with the rest of the phyllo.
Once the vegetable pie is done cooking, let it cool for about ten minutes. Serve as the main course for dinner with a simple salad or as an appetizer or meze.
Vegetable Phyllo Pie (Island of Crete)
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds spinach, stems removed
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 2 large zucchinis, thinly sliced
- 2 large eggplants, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, stems removed and chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup Greek feta, crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 pound phyllo pastry, thawed in fridge
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat ¾ cup olive oil in pot. Add parsley, spinach and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, continuously stirring.
- Add peppers, zucchini, eggplant, basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Sauté an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Place mixture in a large bowl. Add bread crumbs, cheeses and eggs. Mix well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brush one side of each phyllo pastry with olive oil. Put half pound of brushed pastry on bottom of pan. Add mixture and place other half pound of brushed pastry on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Make a few slits on the top with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until top is golden brown. Cut in squares and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 15gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 593mgPotassium: 1084mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 9867IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 317mgIron: 6mg
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About the Author: Koula Barydakis
Koula Barydakis was born into a long tradition of eating and living Mediterranean on the Greek island of Crete. She is a chef who has worked in many of the top restaurants in Crete and in Greek Town in Toronto, Canada. Koula is the co-author of “Foods of Crete, Traditional Recipes of the Healthiest People in the World” and is currently completing her second cookbook. Koula teaches cooking classes to tourists in Crete and has been hired to teach classes in other countries as well.
You will need a huge stock pot to make this as written, but if you cut the recipe in half, you can do it in a pot sized for normal mortals, and it will be plenty to fill an 8×13 casserole dish. I would also consider adding garlic, and maybe more cheese.