This Chickpea, Spinach and Feta Pie Recipe brings together inspirations from two great Greek pies, spanakopita and prasopita, this one-skillet dish also incorporates chickpeas for extra heartiness. Don’t let looks deceive you, as this elegant pie couldn’t be easier to make. There’s no need to stress about torn or dry phyllo sheets. In fact, the pastry is deliberately broken and scrunched up into jagged, clumpy pieces that are then simply plopped on top of the pie. When baked, the craggy pastry becomes extra shattery and crisp. A pie for all occasions, it’s easy enough for weeknight cooking but also special enough for entertaining.
Ingredients:
2 large leeks (about one pound), roots and wilted tops trimmed, stalks halved lengthwise and thinly sliced.
9 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15 ounces baby spinach
1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained
8 ounces crumbled feta
1 lemon, zested and juiced (3-4 Tbl), plus 1 more lemon for serving
1 cup chopped dill
8 to 10 phyllo pastry sheets (about 10 ounces) thawed.
Toasted white sesame seeds
Preparation:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the leeks: Place the sliced leeks into a colandeer and rinse them well, rubbing to loosen any dirt. Rinse again and drain well. (There is no need to dry them, as the residual water is useful in cooking the leeks.)
- Heat a 10-inch oven proof skillet on medium high heat for 1 to 2 minuts. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the leeks ( the skillet will look overfilled, but it cooks down a lot). Season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, adding in more as it wilts, and toss until the leaves have all softened. Turn off the heat and add the chickpeas, feta, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the phyllo sheets into a large bowl and drizzle with 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Scrunch and massage the oil into the sheets; the sheets will crumble, break up and clump up and that is fine. Scrunch the pastry, and transfer in clumps, arranging them on top of the leeks and spinach, until completely covered. Drizzle the top with the remaining olive oil and scatter over the sesame seeds.
- Bake until the top is golden and crispy, 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden and crispy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon on the side.
Recipe adjustments:
I would add a cup of ricotta cheese with a beaten egg.
If you can’t find dill that is not in a plastic container, use Penzey’s dried dill.
A substitution for Leeks could be: Fennel, a popular Greek ingredient. I pan-fried them longer than the recipe said to cook the leeks (7 min). I added some chopped scallions for flavor.
This recipe is by Hetty Lui McKinnon.
