Greek-Style Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie
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Think of this dish as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata.
Inspired by a recipe from Diana Henry’s lovely cookbook From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves, this recipe is based on a Greek dish called kourkouto, a simple and savory “pie” that replaces the phyllo dough in a traditional phyllo pie with a batter made from eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt, and cornmeal. Think of it as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata — and since this version is filled with spinach, feta, and dill, it has spanakopita vibes. It’s a uniquely delicious (and easy!) vegetarian main course that’s perfect for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.
What You’ll Need To Make Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie
Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the spinach.
Cook, tossing frequently, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, polenta, garlic, salt and pepper.
Whisk until smooth, then add the feta, pecorino Romano, and dill, and whisk until evenly combined.
Add the wilted spinach to the batter.
Stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or pie pan.
Bake until just set and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
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Greek-Style Spinach, Feta & Polenta Pie
Think of this dish as a cross between baked polenta, a quiche, and a frittata.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 ounces baby spinach (about 6 packed cups)
- 5 large eggs
- ⅔ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt (low-fat works too)
- ¼ cup instant polenta
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 1.5-qt baking dish (mine is an oval that measures about 9 x 7 inches) or 9-inch pie pan with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing frequently, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, polenta, garlic, salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. Add the feta, pecorino Romano, and dill, and whisk until evenly combined. Stir in the wilted spinach.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or pie pan, and bake until just set and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 382
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Sodium: 554 mg
- Cholesterol: 273 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this yesterday for Easter Brunch. I really liked the flavor. Bought regular polenta, not noting it should have been instant. But I read one of the reviews. I made the recipe and let it sit for at least a 1/2 hour before putting it into the oven. Allowing the polenta to soak up. Turned out good, but I did cook it a little too long and had to wait for company to arrive so it got drier than I’d prefer.
Great recipe.
The second time around I couldn’t resist tampering. I added a can of artichoke hearts and increased the greens to 8 oz.
Delicious! I’ve just made it for the second time. It’s good hot out of the oven or slightly warmed in the microwave. So easy and fast. I can imagine making a bigger batch in a cake pan to serve as small appetizer squares at room temperature.
Delicious! I had to order the instant polenta online. I cooked it in the morning for lunch later, but ended up having a warm piece for breakfast. I added a sautéed shallot. I am going to try this with eggplant next.
Do you think adding a little baking soda would puff it up a bit? I followed recipe exactly and it was delicious, but was only about a half inch thick. Used oval casserole about 9×7. Would appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Pat, if you want to add something to this, I’d add a little baking powder instead of baking soda. Keep in mind that although it will puff up in the oven, it will deflate once it cools. If you’d like something thicker, I’d either make one and a half times the recipe or use a smaller dish. Glad you enjoyed it and nevertheless!
Can coarse ground cornmeal be substituted for the instant polenta?
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Made this for my mom, who is temporarily on a soft foods-only diet. Huge hit. A lot of flavor, while still obtaining the texture we need for her diet. I cooked the pie in a 9-inch pie dish, with my dedicated oven thermometer indicating a temperature of 350 degrees, but the dish took 30 minutes to set in the center.
Amazing. Followed recipe exactly. Used regular polenta but let it soak in mixture for a while before cooking. Sooo good and I’m already thinking of variations. Roasted poblanos and cheese. Sautéed mushrooms with thyme.
Lovely! I cooked the spinach only for a few stirs. And I did not have enough pecorino (only half) but did not miss it – did add a tiny bit more salt – what a lovely recipe!
This worked out with putting my polenta in processor to make smaller particles as suggested on the website. It was delicious. It was served with a fresh greek salad, and Grilled Mediterranean chicken skewers, cooked and seasoned in Costco which are delicious.