A simple Sephardic spinach pie that's made with feta, ricotta cheese, Parmesan and eggs. This Turkish-Jewish family recipe bakes into a delicious savory and fluffy spinach casserole.
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About This Recipe
This Sephardic spinach pie is one of the simplest recipes I grew up with. My mom made it often and like many family recipes, nothing was ever measured! It was simply spinach, eggs and cheese mixed together and baked until puffed and lightly golden.
My mom’s side of the family is Sephardic by way of Turkey and Spain, and simple baked vegetable and cheese dishes like this are common in that tradition. Some versions are even referred to as cuajado, which is a savory frittata-like bake made with eggs, vegetables and cheese.
Over the years I’ve retested this recipe to properly measure the ingredients and improve the texture by adding creamy ricotta cheese (similar to my mom’s Sephardic zucchini casserole) and reducing the amount of eggs. The result is a savory spinach and cheese pie with slightly crisp edges and tender center.
Recipe Updates
Over the years I’ve made a few small adjustments to improve the texture while keeping the original flavors and heart of the recipe.
• Reduced the number of eggs for a lighter texture.
• Added ricotta cheese for a creamier consistency.
• Adjusted baking time to prevent the pie from becoming too dense.
📋 Ingredients
- Spinach: Frozen spinach works great for this recipe. Thaw the spinach completely and squeeze out most of the liquid before measuring and mixing. You should have about 3 cups of thawed and squeezed spinach.
- Ricotta Cheese: Use a whole milk ricotta, which is thick and creamy. If your ricotta is on the watery side, place it in a sieve over a bowl and let it drain to remove excess moisture.
- Eggs: Whole eggs give the savory pie richness and a souffle texture.
- Feta Cheese: Look for feta that's sold in whole blocks, which is creamier than the pre-crumbled option.
- Breadcrumbs: This helps bind everything together. Use whatever you have, including regular Italian breadcrumbs (without seasoning), panko breadcrumbs and even matzo meal if you observe Passover.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
The Sephardic spinach pie is a very simple and traditional recipe, but here are a few variations to try.
- Add Nutmeg: Add a pinch of nutmeg to the cheese mixture for extra warmth. Nutmeg pairs very well with the ricotta, spinach and Parmesan.
- Fresh Spinach: If using fresh spinach, you'll need about 6 cups of fresh baby spinach. Saute the fresh spinach until wilted, then drain well and cool before using.
- Different Greens: Use kale or chard instead of spinach. Just be sure to remove thick stems and cook the greens until tender.
- Passover Variation: To make the recipe Passover-friendly, use matzo meal instead of breadcrumbs. Or if you don't celebrate Passover or it's any other time of the year, use panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs.
⏲️ How to Make Savory Spinach Pie
Make the Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, add the spinach, eggs, cheeses and breadcrumbs/matzo meal. Season with salt and pepper and mix until just combined. Transfer to an oiled baking dish and top with extra feta and Parmesan and olive oil.
Bake: Bake the spinach pie for 25–30 minutes, until the pie is lightly golden around the edges and the center is set. Insert a knife or toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is ready.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Squeeze Spinach Well: Frozen spinach holds a lot of liquid, so be sure to squeeze out most of the moisture so the spinach pie doesn't become too watery.
- Crumble the Feta: Block feta is much creamier than the pre-crumbled option, so be sure to break up and crumble the feta yourself.
- Check the Texture: The mixture should be a creamy texture and not overly dry. Start with less breadcrumbs and add more as needed.
- Bake Until Just Set: Use a toothpick or knife to insert into the center of the spinach pie. If it comes out clean, it's ready.
- Look for Golden Edges: Once done, the spinach feta pie should have slightly golden edges and be tender in the center.
- Make Ahead: This spinach pie keeps very well and can be made several days in advance.
- Store in the refrigerator and cut into squares when ready to serve. Enjoy it cold, room temperature or gently reheated in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
This Sephardic spinach pie is a fabulous addition to a brunch spread. Serve it alongside:
- Dollop of plain yogurt
- Fresh fruit
- Smoked trout dip
- Matzo brei with pears for a sweet addition
More Sephardic Recipes to Try
Sephardic Spinach Pie
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
- 2 12 oz bags frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed well about 3 cups total
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or matzo meal
- Olive oil for greasing and drizzling
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Topping
- ¼ cup feta
- Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Prepare the Spinach: Thaw the frozen spinach completely. Using a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out most of the excess liquid. You should have about 3 cups of squeezed spinach.
- Make the Spinach Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, add the spinach, eggs, ricotta cheese, crumbled feta, grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs/matzo meal. Season with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper and mix until just combined.
- The mixture should look creamy and thick, but not dry.
- Assemble the Pie: Pour the spinach mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle extra feta and Parmesan on top and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Bake: Bake the spinach pie for 25–30 minutes, until the pie is lightly golden around the edges and the center is set. Insert a knife or toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is ready.
- Cool and Serve: Let the pie cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into squares and serve warm, at room temperature.
Notes
- Squeeze the spinach well: Frozen spinach holds a lot of liquid. Squeeze out most of the moisture so the pie doesn’t become watery.
- Crumble your own feta: Block feta tends to be creamier and more flavorful than pre-crumbled.
- Check the texture of the mixture: The mixture should look creamy and spoonable, not dry.
- Bake until just set: Insert a knife or toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is ready.
- Look for golden edges: The edges should be lightly golden and slightly crisp
Helen says
I love this recipe but lately the pie has not been puffing up. Also, the pie sticks to the bottom of the pan despite using lots of olive oil, and so falls apart when I remove it. I use frozen spinach squeezed out and three eggs. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Samantha Ferraro says
Hello Helen. I wish I were in your Kitchen for 2 reasons. You seem like you have a wonderful pallet and 2, I always learn something when putting recipes together with somebody new. Here is my thought about the issue with the Spinach Pie. Do not whip the eggs too much and do not use Cold Eggs, let them sit out a bit. Regarding the Pie sticking, the Type of oil really matters, High Heat demands Avocado oil or Similar. With that said, I follow my own recipes and sometimes it is just not as I expect. Different areas of ovent can influence recipes, etc. Keep up the Faith and have a wonderful week, Samantha.
Karen Davidowitz says
My Nonas called this recipe Sfungato & they made it almost every week. Spinach pie was different, basically made with phyllo dough & is equivalent to a Greek spanakopita . Sfungato had no crust as in using a dough like phyllo!
Samantha Ferraro says
WOW, Thank you Karen. Most of my favorite food memories are from my Grandma and Mom also. I may try the Sfungato next time. Thank you so much. Samantha.
cathy says
i grew up on this too and i love it! my mother and her family called it prosafuchi (not sure of spelling). i’ve never come across a recipe by this name. Do you recognize this name? thanks for the recipes!
Samantha says
My mom did call a dish "pasa-fuchi" I don't think I have the right spelling as well, but I wonder if it's similar!?
Val Mogendorff says
H, Samantha,
Please could you tell me what a 6x4 cooking dish is? If it's inches, it looks very small for the recipe quantity!
Best wishes,
Val, writing from the UK
Samantha says
Hi Val! That recipe is so old but yes it is in inches. This is the closet pan size I found to what I used then. Honestly, it's such a versatile recipe, I would suggest any square or rectangle pan that is 8 inches or less. Even a round pan will work as well. Here is a link to a size I think is similar to what I used. https://amzn.to/3dMTc4P
Dana says
My grandmother made little pastries called "montiz" (not sure of the spelling) using a similar filling, but with kasseri cheese instead of parmesan. When I was a kid, it was the only way I would eat spinach. Thanks for posting this!
Samantha says
Hi Dana! My mom talks about montiz too though I have not made those...thank you for reminding me 🙂
Sherry says
This was a dish in my family, too. In fact, I made it for tonight's Seder with matza instead of bread crumbs. I've been looking all over the place for the right spelling for this dish that we call Qua-zha-doe (trying to spell out the pronunciation). You can make it with spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. I hope someone can help with the spelling!
Samantha says
Oh I have no heard of the one you mentioned! How interesting!! My mom has said I can make this spinach pie with zucchini instead so I plan on doing that this summer!
Rosina Santillana says
Cuajado is a Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) term for “coagulated or having curds” and refers to savory baked dishes made with cheeses combined with lots of eggs, a little flour or matzo-meal for binding and lots of grated fresh vegetables – spinach, eggplant, potatoes, leeks, or squash, (as in this recipe)
Samantha says
Thank you for sharing!!
Lucie says
My grandparents came from Turkey and just called it "spinaka," but I've heard it called Quazado also.
KareninStLouis says
How many cups or ounces of raw fresh spinach to end up with 6 cups cooked? Seems it would take a ton!
Samantha says
I believe we used 1-2 of those LARGE Costco sized spinach containers!
Cynthia Abulafia says
Great! I grew up eating this too. Some of my first memories are of my grandmother making this dish (she was Sephardic as well from Turkey). She didnt use a recipe of course so it has been challenging trying to recreate it. Sometimes she would add hard boiled eggs into the pie for extra texture: there were several speckled throughout (rising above the rest of the pie). Did you ever see it done this way?
Samantha says
My mom is the same way! She doesn't use a recipe so as we were making it, I had to measure as I went 🙂 I don't remember her putting an egg in this dish but she does in other things! I will double check though!