Zucchini Pie with Phyllo Dough (Pita od Tikvica)
Enjoy a flavorful zucchini cheese pie with crispy yet soft phyllo dough. Quick and delicious!
Equipment
- 1 round baking pan with an 11-inch (28cm) diameter or a rectangular baking pan 11x13 inches (28x33cm); this is an approximation, as it will depend on the volume of your dough
Ingredients
Zucchini
- 4-5 zucchini
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
Filling
- 3-4 eggs
- 3.5-4 ounces cottage cheese pour the extra liquid out
- 3.5-4 ounces sour cream pour the extra liquid out
- 3.5-4 ounces feta cheese pour the extra liquid out
- (Optional) instead of two cheeses, use one and double the volume e.g. 7-8 oz/ 200 g of feta pour extra liquid out
- 1-2 tablespoons stock powder, seasoned salt, or Vegeta
- ground pepper to taste
Phyllo
- 1 pound phyllo sheets about 17-20 sheets
- 2-3 tablespoons oil
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
Topping
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or hot carbonated water with 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter inside
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Prepping Zucchini
- Peel zucchini and grate it by using larger holes on the grater. Squeeze the moisture out and transfer the grated zucchini to a large bowl or a tray. Add salt and mix well with your hands so that the salt is evenly distributed over the zucchini. Let rest for 20-30 minutes to sweat out additional liquid.
- Squeeze zucchini really well again, and try to get as much moisture out as possible. Transfer to another large bowl. Heat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Making the Stuffing
- Add eggs, cheese(s), sour cream, and seasonings to the zucchini. Mix really well with a spatula (or your hand) until all the stuffing ingredients are integrated. (You can give it a little taste or a lick to test if it's seasoned to your liking.) The filling will be a little bit "wet" and fluidy.
Stuffing the Phyllo
- Generously oil your baking pan. Take phyllo out of the box (or bag), unwrap it, and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Take one sheet, spread it on your working area, and spray (brush) with oil. Spread the oil over the sheet evenly so it's greasy (but not dripping in oil) everywhere.
- Grab 4-5 (generously filled) tablespoons of the filling and spread a line of it on the shorter end of the phyllo sheet. Roll the filling and phyllo up like a cigar. As the filling is "wet" this may be a little bit of a challenge. Do the best you can, and if the phyllo rips patch it up the best you can. (It doesn't matter if it looks messy, it'll be delicious anyway!) Transfer the "cigar" to your baking pan.
Sculpting the Phyllo
- There are several ways to sculpt the phyllo. One way is to lay each phyllo "cigar" next to each other tightly (for example how, take a look at our meat phyllo dough pie here). Another way is to take a round pan, and starting from the middle circle the stuffed phyllo dough around itself until you fill the pan up (like a spiral, look at the photos in the article). Dab the pie with the remaining oil and butter on top, and transfer to the oven.
Baking the Pie
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning the pan around halfway. (Always adjust the baking time to your oven. If it's not done, bake another 5-10 minutes.)
Adding the Topping
- Melt the butter in milk. Take the pie out of the oven, and spray it with the topping. Return the pie back to the turned-off oven for another 5 minutes, then serve.
Handling
- Serve warm (or cold if you prefer!) alongside a soup or a salad. Store covered with a clean kitchen towel in the turned-off oven or the microwave for up to 3-4 hours. If planning to keep it for longer, transfer the zucchini pie to an airtight container right away, and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. (Zucchini doesn't keep well once baked, so try to eat the pie soon.) Reheat based on your preferred method. We're partial to 15 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) preheated oven.
Notes
Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 4Sugar: 10.7gCalories: 1548kcalSaturated Fat: 64.7gFat: 144.3gProtein: 45.4231gCarbohydrates: 23.1gIron: 17mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!