Spinach and Feta Pie in Homemade Shortcrust

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Wrapping Dough

1. 1
   Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Transfer to a food processor, add the cold butter in cubes and process until coarse crumbs form.

   Food processor
3. 3
   Add the egg and cold water and quickly bring together with your hands, without kneading, just until the dough comes together.

   💡Knead as little as possible: long kneading develops gluten, and the dough comes out tough and shrinks in the oven.
4. 4
   Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 60 minutes.

   ⚙ Wrapping and Chilling the DoughPlastic wrapRefrigerator

   💡Chilling firms the butter and relaxes the gluten: the dough rolls out easily, doesn't stick to the counter and doesn't shrink in the oven.

For the Pastry Filling

1. 5
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 6
   Add the onion and fry 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 7
   Add the spinach in a few batches and stir, until wilted.

   Stove
4. 8
   Transfer the spinach to a colander, let cool and squeeze out the liquid well and chop it coarse.

   Colander
5. 9
   In a bowl, mix the spinach, scallions, feta, ricotta, eggs, nutmeg and dill, and season with black pepper.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 10
   Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll out about two-thirds of the dough and line a pan with it, sides included.

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 11
   Fill with the cooled filling and smooth the top.
3. 12
   Cover with the rest of the dough, press the edges together and brush with beaten egg yolk, and poke a few small holes for steam.

   💡Press the edges of the top crust firmly onto the edges of the bottom crust, and the holes in the top let steam escape: that way the top doesn't puff up and the filling doesn't bubble out.
4. 13
   Bake 45–50 minutes, until the pie is golden.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
5. 14
   Let rest 20 minutes and serve.