This Mediterranean courgette and feta pie is on the table in 30 minutes. Whether it’s for a filling lunch, a midweek family dinner, or part of a Mezze feast, this pie is a crowd-pleaser. It’s a twist on the classic Greek dish Spanakopita. Keeping the same flavours of spinach, feta and filo pastry, but lightening it with courgette. And if you’ve never tried topping a pie with filo pastry, this recipe will convert you.
Ever tried a crunchy topped filo pastry pie?
There’s something special about a filo‑topped pie, especially when you scrunch the sheets into ruffled layers. They crisp in the oven, turning golden and delicate, giving you an amazing crunch. It’s the kind of topping that looks impressive on the table but takes seconds to assemble. A gentle scrunch, a little melted butter, and the oven does the rest. Paired with salty feta and soft greens, it creates that irresistible contrast of crisp, flaky top and creamy, savoury filling underneath.
Courgettes and the classic Greek Spanakopita
Courgettes bring a lightness to this classic Greek combination, softening the richness of the cheese and adding moisture without weighing anything down. They melt into the filling, giving it a fresh, Summertime feel that makes this pie just as good warm as it is at room temperature. And because the dish is on the table in 30 minutes, it’s the kind of recipe you can reach for on busy lunchtimes or evenings, lazy weekends or when you want something that feels special without demanding much from you. It’s simple, quick, and full of sunshine – and perfect for the courgette season.
Other courgette recipes
Below are some other ways to make use of this prevalent Summer vegetable:
- Courgette parmigiana
- Courgette and feta fritters
- Jammy courgettes and ricotta on sourdough toast
- Baked turkey and courgette meatballs
Growing courgettes
Courgettes are remarkably easy to grow in the UK and are perfect for beginner gardeners. They thrive in the British climate when planted after the last frost (typically late May or early June) and can produce abundant harvests from just two plants throughout the summer months – 1-2 courgettes a day – making them one of the most easiest and rewarding vegetables to plant at home.
For maximum yields, several varieties stand out as particularly productive in UK conditions. ‘Defender’ is disease-resistant and produces plenty of straight, dark green courgettes, and one I’ve grown for the past 2 years ‘Sure Thing’. If you’re looking for something different, then ‘Eight Ball’ produces round courgettes, whilst a good yellow variety is ‘Golden Delight’.
This dish works equally well just using courgette. Simply grate 500g of courgette and omit the spinach.
The pie is best served warm or at room temperature.
Equipment
- 23cm/9" square tin or equivalent
Ingredients
- 400 g courgette approximately 2 medium
- 100 g baby spinach/chopped spinach leaves
- 120 g feta cheese
- 60 g parmesan
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tbsp pesto homemade or from a jar
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 270 g filo pastry pack of Jus-Rol
- 25 g butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C
- Grate the courgette into a large bowl. If they are particularly juicy, wrap in a clean tea towel to remove the excess moisture.
- Add the spinach leaves, crumbled feta, grated parmesan, beaten eggs, pesto, grated garlic, dried mint and seasoning. Give everything a good mix and tip into the baking dish.
- Taking the filo sheets, cut them in half into squares. Then scrunch each piece and place on top of the mixture in the dish. Continue until you have covered the surface – they should sit snuggly together and you shouldn't be able to see the pie filling underneath.
- Brush the pastry with the melted butter and place in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. Serve golden brown with a crisp green salad on the side.
Notes
- Use can use just courgette (500g) if you wish and forget about the spinach.
- You can find recipes to my homemade pesto’s here: kale pesto and sage pesto