Quiches and Frittatas are obviously great additions to any brunch or high tea table. We often like to have these delicious baked egg dishes for dinner too though. This Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Quiche is my husband’s all time favourite dish. That’s saying a lot coming from a true carnivore.
Quiches are super versatile as you can add any ingredients to both add flavour and nutrients. It’s a great way to use up lots of little bits of leftover ingredients and are also super simple to tailor to both meat based or vegetarian palates.
For this version, I used roasted pumpkin, which I then mashed to create a smoother, creamier filling. Feel free to leave them in pieces if you prefer. You can also use butternut instead of pumpkin. I added shallots, spinach, and garlic to add to the flavour. And finally I included a little parmesan and crumbled in some feta, which is totally optional. It’s a lovely combination, but as I mentioned, you can literally add any ingredients.
I also went a step further in amping up the flavour with some dried herbs added to the pastry. I can’t make any savoury pastry dishes these days without this addition as my husband has fallen in love with this flavourful pastry. I’m sure you will too.
Pumpkin, Spinach & Feta Quiche
Ingredients
Roast Pumpkin
- 500 g Pumpkin Chopped into dice size
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Dried Italian Herb Mix
- 1 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
- ½ tsp Brown Sugar Optional
- Salt to taste
Crust
- 1½ Cups All-Purpose/Cake Flour
- ½ tsp Salt Reduce to ¼ tsp if using salted butter
- 1 tsp Dried Italian Herb Mix
- 115 g Butter Cold or frozen
- 10 – 12 Tbsp Ice cold water
Spinach
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Shallots finely chopped Or 1 small onion
- 1 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 2 Cups Baby Spinach roughly chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Filling
- 5 Large Eggs
- ¼ Cup Milk
- ½ – 1 tsp Dried or fresh Herbs
- 2 Tbsp Finely chopped chives
- ¼ Cup Finely grated Parmesan
- 100 g Crumbled Feta
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast Pumpkin
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Chop your pumpkin into dice sized pieces
- Add the olive oil and pumpkin to an oven dish and season with the herbs, sugar and salt. Add the garlic and mix through until well coated
- Roast for around 25 – 30 minutes, until tender
- Remove from the oven, place in a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher (optional)*. Set aside to cool
Crust
- Sieve or whisk together the flour and salt. Then add the herbs
- Grate the chilled butter into the flour mixture, cutting it in with a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Then add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until it comes together as a dough. This can also be done in a food processor or stand mixer if you wish
- Do not overwork the dough. It is fine if there are bits of butter visible in the dough. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a dash more water a teaspoon at a time. This should not be a wet dough but should also not be dry and crumbly
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or board and roll out into a circular shape, a little larger than the pie dish you are planning to use. If using a ceramic or glass dish then ensure that you very lightly grease it with non-stick cooking spray before placing the pastry inside. I used a 20cm non stick pie dish with a removable bottom, which does not need greasing as the pastry includes a lot of butter
- Place the dough into the pie dish and ensure that the bottom and sides are covered**. The pastry is soft and will most likely break when moving, so patch any holes or cracks if you need to. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork and place in the freezer for around 30 minutes while you roast your pumpkin
- Remove the pastry case from the freezer and line with baking paper. Use baking beans, or dried beans or rice to weigh down the pastry. Make sure that no pastry is visible at this point. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans/weights and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before adding the filling
Spinach
- Add the olive oil to a pan and add the finely chopped shallots or onion and crushed garlic. Sauté on medium heat for a minute or two until they start to soften. Then add the chopped spinach and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Stir through while cooking for around a minute or two until the spinach just starts to soften, then remove from the heat and place in a strainer to let any excess moisture drain and to let it cool before adding to the egg mixture
Filling and Assembly
- When all your components are cooled, preheat the oven to 180°C
- In a large bowl or batter bowl, mix together the eggs and milk, then season with salt and pepper and add the herbs and chives. Next add the cooled mashed pumpkin and parmesan and mix through until well combined. Finally, add the cooled spinach mixture and most of the crumbled feta
- Pour this mixture into the cooled crust and sprinkle over the remaining crumbled feta
- Bake for around 35 – 45 minutes or until just set and golden (baking time will depend on how deep/thick your quiche is and your oven)
- Remove from the oven and let cool for around 15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before attempting to remove from the tin (if using a removable tin)
A good guideline for amazing quiches