Traditional Greek Zucchini Pie, also known as Kolokithopita, is a seriously delicious savory pie with a flaky phyllo crust and zucchini feta filling. It's absolutely delicious as an appetizer, or served as part of a savory brunch. Come fall in love with the flavors of Greece with this simple, scrumptious recipe!
Make sure to start this recipe by thawing the phyllo dough, either overnight in the fridge, or for 3-4 hours at room temperature.
Peel and grate the zucchini. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the zucchini. Cut off the ends of each zucchini. Use a box grater, salad shooter or the grating attachment on a KitchenAid to grate the zucchini.
Place the grated zucchini in a large colander in the sink. Sprinkle with salt (just about ¼ teaspoon) and leave the zucchini for at least 20 minutes, up to 60 minutes, to drain.
While the zucchini is draining, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Wrap the zucchini in a towel and squeeze, getting rid of any excess water. Add the zucchini to a large bowl. Add the cooked onions and garlic to the bowl.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, beaten eggs, greek yogurt, crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill, parsley, mint, salt and pepper to the bowl.
Stir to combine all of the ingredients and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour some olive oil (around 1/4 – 1/2 cup) in a small bowl and grab a pastry brush.
Add a sheet of phyllo dough to the bottom of the pan, brush with olive oil. Continue to layer 7 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with olive oil before adding the next sheet of dough.
Cover the phyllo dough with the prepared zucchini filling.
Top with a sheet of phyllo dough, brush with olive oil. Continue to layer 5 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with olive oil before adding the next sheet of dough.
Use a sharp knife to cut 6-8 slashes (1-2 inches long) in the top of the pie so that steam can release as the pie bakes in the oven.
Place in the oven and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, or until the top layer of the crust starts to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let rest at least 20 minutes before slicing into 15 pieces and serving.
Notes
Don’t skip the step of draining the zucchini! Zucchini has a high moisture content. If you simply grate it and add it straight to the filling, the zucchini will release too much liquid as the pie bakes in the oven and you will get a soggy pie. No one wants that!
Always be sure to thaw the phyllo dough ahead of time! Either place the dough in the refrigerator overnight, or remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature for at least 3 hours.
Do not remove the phyllo pastry sheets from the box until you’re ready to prepare the pie! Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so you don’t want to remove it from the packaging until you’re ready to use the dough. Once the filling for the pie is prepared and you’ve greased a baking pan, you’re ready to remove the phyllo dough and start assembling the pie.
This recipe can be made ahead of time. Make the filling up to 24 hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the pie. The entire pie can be assembled and baked up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover and store the pie in the refrigerator. When ready to serve the pie, place it back in the oven, covered, at 325°F for 15-20 minutes to reheat the entire pie.
Store any leftover pie in the fridge, either covered in the baking dish or in an airtight container. The pie will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat individual pieces of pie in the air fryer, make sure the pieces of pie are not touching so that there’s room for air to circulate around the pieces of pie. Air fry at 400°F for 3-5 minutes.
To reheat individual pieces of pie in the oven, separate the pieces on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400°F and reheat for 5 minutes.
To reheat the whole pie, place the baking dish, covered, in a 325°F oven and reheat for 15-20 minutes.