My Spinach & Feta Cheese Phyllo Tart is so delicious, easy to make, and very impressive!
Watch the Video
Tarta me Spanaki kai translates to a tart made with spinach and cheese, and this Spinach and Feta cheese phyllo tart is absolutely the best thing you’ll put on a brunch table! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients that will end up wowing everyone at your table.
What type of phyllo dough do I use?
I use regular #4 phyllo dough because it works best for this tart. Country phyllo would be a little too thick for this recipe. Keep it frozen until the night before making your tart, then transfer it to the refrigerator. Pull out an hour before you are ready to start your tart to finish thawing on the counter. Be sure to leave it in the package while thawing to prevent any dry sheets of phyllo. Also, I prefer using salted butter for the pan and for drizzling on the phyllo dough. I use salted butter in savory dishes like this because I think it adds so much more flavor.
Why your family will request this tart over again
- Flaky, crispy crust
- Creamy spinach filling
- Simple ingredients you may have on hand
- A truly delicious and impressive tart!
What makes this tart so delicious
The Filling
- Onion –leeks would work well if you don’t have an onion on hand
- Olive oil
- Scallions – thinly sliced and dunked in cold water to rinse any dirt away
- Spinach leaves –roughly chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Eggs
- Half and half
- Ground nutmeg
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Shredded mozzarella –
- Optional: 1 roasted red pepper, diced
The Crust
- Phyllo pastry thawed and at room temperature
- Salted butter –
- Unseasoned breadcrumbs
How to make Spinach and Cheese Phyllo Tart
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
- Add the onion and olive oil to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until soft. About 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add the scallions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until soft.
- Add the chopped spinach in a few batches after each batch wilts. Season each batch with salt and black pepper, then cook it over medium-high heat so that the liquid that the spinach releases will evaporate. There will still be a few tablespoons of juice at the end of cooking.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the crumbled feta. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside to cool. Add the roasted red pepper and stir together.
- Place the tart pan on a baking tray.
- Brush the pan with some melted butter.
- Spread the breadcrumbs onto the bottom of the pan in a flat layer.
- Then, layer the phyllo sheets into the tart pan and drizzle butter between each layer. See video.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with half and half. Season with some salt and pepper, and add the nutmeg. Whisk together.
- Next, add the spinach filling to the tart pan and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Then, pour the cream mixture over the spinach mixture.
- Tuck the phyllo hanging outside the pan into it to create the crust and brush it with the remaining butter.
- Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack for 45 minutes.
- Allow the tart to cool for at least 20 minutes, and then carefully remove it from the tart pan.
What if I don’t have…
I’m a big proponent of using what you have on hand. So, if you do not have a tart pan, feel free to use a 9-inch or 10-inch pie pan instead. A leek would be an excellent substitute for the onion, and gruyere or gouda cheese would be just as delicious. I’ve never tried it, but you may even be able to replace the spinach with kale. Let me know how it is if you try it!
Serve
Be sure to let your tart cool for at least 15-20 minutes. Otherwise, it will fall apart when you try to serve it. It needs a little time to set. Use a butter knife to help release any sticky parts from the side of your tart pan, and carefully take the tart out of the pan. You can put it on a cutting board or serving platter to cut. The spinach and feta tart is delicious all by itself. However, serve it with tzatziki and a Roka Salata salad (Greek Rocket Arugala Salad) for the perfect meal!
Kali Orexi!
More Spinach & Feta Recipes:
- The Best Spanakopita Recipe (Updated)
- Spanakopita Dip
- Spinach & Salmon Phyllo Parcels: Greek-Spanakopita Salmon
- Spinach & Feta Phyllo Rolls: Spanakopita Rolls
Spinach & Feta Cheese Tart
Ingredients
- a 9-inch round tart pan or a 9-10 inch pie pan
For the Crust:
- 1/2 pound phyllo pastry thawed and at room temperature
- 4 oz (114g) salted butter, melted
- about a half cup of unseasoned breadcrumbs
For the Filling:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 pound spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) half and half
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 oz (200g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 6 oz (150g) shredded mozzarella, Gruyere, or Gouda cheese
- optional: 1 roasted red pepper, diced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Add the onion and olive oil to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until soft. About 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
Add the scallions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until soft.
Add the chopped spinach in a few batches after each batch wilts. season each batch with salt and black pepper and cook it over medium high heat so that the liquid that the spinach releases evaporates. There will still be a few tablespoons of liquid at the end of cooking.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the crumbled feta. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside to cool. Add the roasted red pepper and mix together.
Place the tart pan on a baking tray.
Brush the pan with some melted butter.
Spread the breadcrumbs onto the bottom of the pan in a flat layer.
Layer the phyllo sheetes into the tart pan and drizzle butter between each layer. See video.
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and add the half and half. whisk together. Season with some salt and pepper and add the nutmeg. Whisk together.
Add the spinach filling to the tart pan and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pour the cream mixture over the spinach mixture.
Tuck the phyllo that is hanging outside of the pan into it to create the crust and brush it with the remaining butter.
Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack for 45 minutes.
Allow the tart to cool for at least 20 minutes and then carefully remove it from the tart pan.
Serve with tzatziki and a salad. Kali Orexi!
Notes
Make sure to place the tart pan on a baking tray so that it can be transported into and out of the oven safely.
If you do not have a tart pan, feel free to use a 9 or 10-inch pie pan instead.
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Dimitra,
Never seen half and half in Western Australia. Your recipe states 1 1/4 cups half and half.
Can you please tell me how much milk and cream to use. Can’t wait to make your pie.
Thank you Dimitra.
It’s half milk and half heavy cream 🙂 equal parts.
Hello Dimitri, it’s a lovely dish to go with a salad.
I made it ! With 3 leeks and 5 oz spinach . I used kefalotiri instead of mozzarella and 3 eggs with whole milk. I used what I had. I baked it for 1 hour in a glass pie pan. I love your recipes. Thank you.
Love this recipe which I just viewed on FB.
Thank you for all the tips too!
Bev Thompson
This recipe looks fantastic! I love the tart idea! I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Usually, I make traditional pan style cut into wedges, but this would be a nice presentation to bring to a friend, or relative’s house. I even thought it would make a nice gift to give with a new removable bottom nonstick tart pan including the recipe tag or card. Thinking about giving as a housewarming gift to my niece.
So good. I bit my fingers . Buy unsalted butter. It’s always fresher. Salted butter has a longer shelf life and picks up unwanted flavors. Add salt as you like, to the unsalted butter.
Hi Dimitras,
Love your recipes, reminds me so much of times we were in Cairo born and bred…my mum born in Alexandria.
For the above recipe, what could I replace Phyllo pastry with?
Thank you, efharisto
HG
What are the calories per slice
Dimitra,
I love your food. I am on a calorie counting diet. Are you able to inform me the calorie value of this delicious looking tart.
Thankyou.
dimitra mou i enjoy your recipes and the way you explain everything. but this time i could understad what you meant with half and half as i live in switzerland and have no idea. thanks for beeing there for us
Half and half here in the states is half milk and half heavy whipping cream.
Made this is was a big hit & delicious! The 1 & a 1/4 cup of half & half spilled as I was filling the tart all over the baking pan?? I used a traditional tart pan, can you help me figure this out so next time it doesn’t happen? Thank you
με συγχωρειτε,χρησιμοποιησατε φυλλο κρουστας η σφολιατα? η μηπως γινεται και με τα 2?ευχαριστω.
Phyllo kroostas 🙂
Would it be possible to have the recipient included with the video
I’m going to do this recipe as part of all dairy meal this week
Thanks for all your recipes we love what you cook or back
Haya
I made this spinach and feta tart today. I remembered your tip regarding the breadcrumbs under the first layer of fillo pastry.
It was easy to assemble. Cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful. It cut easily after letting it rest for 15 minutes.
Will definitely make it again. I wasn’t sure of half and half, so I used 4 eggs and 1 cup of milk.
Perfect!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Half and half is half milk and half cream 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly, but my quiche didn’t set. I ended up baking for 1 hour at 350 F, resting for 30 minutes, realising it still wasn’t set, and then I covered the quiche with foil so the filo wouldn’t burn and returned it to the oven at 275 F and baked for another hour, checking every 15 minutes. But then I was hungry and I gave up and ate it anyway. The filo was soggy and the custard was very loose, but the flavour was still nice, like a creamy spanakopita, so brunch was still a success.
Is 2 eggs and 1 and 1/4 cup of half and half the correct ratios? I’m wondering if this recipe would be better with 3 eggs or just 1 cup of half and half. I see others in the comments have adapted the ratio of eggs to milk/cream too.