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Greek Zucchini Pie

August 13, 2018

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer.

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer. Get the recipe at JessicaLevinson.com | #zucchini #summerrecipes #greekfood #vegetarian #meatlessmonday #meatlessmeal

When we moved into our house a few years ago, my husband suggested I start a vegetable garden. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t feel like I could really take on the work and upkeep that would be required for this project (remember, I had 6-month old twins at the time!). Hubby then reduced his suggestion to me growing some herb plants, but yet again, I didn’t feel like it was something I could devote my energy to. Sad to say, I still haven’t taken on the task of growing my own vegetables or herbs, yet I know I would use everything I would grow given all my cooking.

Thankfully, there are some great local farmers markets in my area, and many of our local grocery stores sell local produce, so I enjoy the fruits and vegetables of local farmer’s labor as much as I can!

 

cherries, blueberries, apricots, zucchini and summer squash, and rhubarb at local farmers market in New Rochelle, NY

 

Summer Squash Overload

I think everyone pretty much knows that zucchini is in abundance by July. There’s only so much grilled zucchini, zucchini muffins and bread, and stuffed zucchini boats you can make before you get tired of the same old thing. And while zoodles are still on trend, my kids and hubby prefer real pasta noodles, so I don’t make them too often.

That leaves me looking for different ways to enjoy zucchini during the late summer and early fall. Lately I have been making baked zucchini chips with different herbs and spices for seasoning, and of course I grill zucchini whenever the grill is on. One of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini is in this summery twist on Greek spinach pie (pardon the awful pics – time for an update on that one!), aka Spanakopita, using zucchini and fresh mint. As it turns out, zucchini pie is actually a thing (and here I thought I was so creative!), known as Kolokithopita in Greek.

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer. Get the recipe at JessicaLevinson.com | #zucchini #summerrecipes #greekfood #vegetarian #meatlessmonday #meatlessmeal

Greek Zucchini Pie

My version of Greek Zucchini Pie is lightened up using a mix of part-skim ricotta and feta, and instead of all the butter usually added to the layers of phyllo dough, I use olive oil spray to keep them sealed together.

The result: a golden brown, crispy yet fluffy savory pie that screams summer. Although it requires a little more time than I normally like to spend in the kitchen, especially during the summer, this recipe is worth making at the beginning of the week (perfect for Meatless Monday) and enjoyed all week long. Serve it with a Greek salad to round out the meal and get even more veggies onto your plate!

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer. Get the recipe at JessicaLevinson.com | #zucchini #summerrecipes #greekfood #vegetarian #meatlessmonday #meatlessmeal

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Greek Zucchini Pie

Greek Zucchini Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped scallions, (white and green parts)
  • 2 cloves garlic,, minced (~1 tablespoon)
  • 1 1/2 pounds zucchini,, grated (squeeze excess water out before cooking)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped mint
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 sheets phyllo dough,, defrosted if frozen

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high. When pan is hot, add scallions and garlic; saute about 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, stir in grated zucchini and saute about 10 minutes, until the water has released and evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, ricotta, feta, oregano, and mint. Stir in zucchini mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. Carefully lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough across the prepared baking dish; spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first sheet; spray with olive oil spray, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will hang over the baking dish.
  5. Pour the zucchini cheese mixture into the baking dish over the layers of phyllo and spread with a spatula so you have an even layer.
  6. Layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough the same way you laid the first four, spraying each with cooking spray. Fold overhanging dough over the top and spray with olive oil once more.
  7. Bake zucchini pie for 35-40 minutes until the phyllo is golden brown and crispy. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Phyllo dough is very delicate. Once you unroll it, be sure to cover with a damp paper towel, and continue to cover each time you remove a piece to build the layers.

Golden crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, this savory zucchini pie with mint speaks summer. Get the recipe at JessicaLevinson.com | #zucchini #summerrecipes #greekfood #vegetarian #meatlessmonday #meatlessmeal

What’s your favorite way to cook with zucchini?

Share with me in the comments below!

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    1. Thank you for reaffirming that I wasn’t crazy to say no! Plus, gardening isn’t my thing 😉 LMK how you like the recipe!

  1. Yum! I love spanikopita (and I had no idea that there was a zucchini version!). I am super excited to give this lightened up zucchini version a try. It’s always nice to have another zucchini recipe to turn to this time of the year!

  2. Thank goodness for farmers markets! That golden crust is perfection. It’s been too long since I had spanakopita but this zucchini pie looks just as good – must try it!!

    1. Totally agree. I really missed the ones in NY when we first moved, but am so happy to have found good ones now. You def need to try this!

  3. I always have oodles of zucchini. ..why have I never thought oF making this pie? Love your inspiration. Wait til your twins are old enough to weed…then start the garden. (I hate weeding!) Give them about 2 more years. (:

    1. Thanks Serena! Hope you try it, and please let me know if you do! And thanks for the heads up about weeding

  4. What a unique way to use zucchini! Zucchini and mint are our two best crops this summer, so am putting this on the menu! Just need to grab the phyllo dough. And you are smart to stick with the farmer’s markets …. having a love/hate relationship with my garden this year.

    1. Thanks so much Jenny – I hope you make it and enjoy it! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your garden this year. Hope it’s at least been worth the effort!

  5. UMM… this looks absolutely delicious!! I would love to use this recipe for my zucchini recipe-round up!

  6. I love that you used fresh mint and zucchini in your recipe! This is SO veggie packed… and light too. I’m with you on starting a garden. There’s a time and place for one. And we have the place- just not the time!

    1. Thanks Katie – the mint adds so much summery flavor! And abt the garden – so nice knowing others get it the way you do 😉

  7. I LOVE Greek Spinach Pie! Spanakopita Lasagna was actually the first recipe I put on my blog and the recipe I competed on the Food Network with. I’ve never had it with zucchini but it looks and sounds phenomenal! Yay for farmers markets!

    1. How funny Sonali! I’ll have to look at that lasagna recipe of yours! Thanks so much for letting me know and checking out my recipe!

  8. This looks so delicious, Jessica!! Love all the veggies you packed in this thing! Maybe one day you will be able to get your little garden started! 🙂 Since moving from the farm in Ohio out here to my little apartment in Colorado, I have zero space for herbs and veggies 🙁

  9. 5 stars
    I love all things GREEK! The food is out of this world tasty!! 🙂 Sadly I can’t eat pies like this BUT – but, I can devour lots of other tasty Greek food! 🙂

    1. Greek food is one of my faves too! My hubby and I spent our honeymoon in Greece and never had a bad meal. Sorry to hear you can’t enjoy this kind of pie though.

  10. I’m saving this because it reminds me of something my grandma would make. She always had her own garden and grew a lot of zucchini. She had the most delicious meals and treats!

  11. I don’t think I’ve ever had zucchini pie but that flaky crust looks so good and I just picked zucchini from the garden.

  12. I love zucchini and this pie looks absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to try this recipe out. I think my hubby will be pleased 🙂

  13. 5 stars
    I dreamed of having a vegetable garden when I first bought my house too and 5 years later and that still hasn’t happened! But I’m totally being convinced to grow zucchini just so I can make this amazing pie!

  14. 5 stars
    Loving this recipe! What a great way to use zucchini. I have dreams of having my own vegetable garden. If only I could just have someone else take care of it LOL!

  15. This dish has always intrigued me. I managed to make a similar one dairy-free that we loved, but I think I need to attempt this one with the phyllo – it just looks too delicious!

  16. This is a great recipe and a family favorite! My 3 year old loved it. To save time I tried using my food processor instead of grating the Zucchini and it worked great and really saved so much time!

    1. Joanna, I’m so happy to hear that your family – including your 3 year old – loved it! And great time-saving tip to use the food processor. I would just caution about not grating it too much to avoid it becoming mushy! Thanks so much for sharing!

  17. 5 stars
    What an awesome combination of flavors. It’s look easy, delicious. I will definitely try this. Thanks for sharing your post.

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