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Greek Onion and Squash Pie

A phyllo pie filled with sautéed onions, zucchini, summer squash, egg substitute, feta cheese, flour, and oregano.

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Why it works: Olive and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,443 recipes. Both carry 2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓

Greek Onion and Squash Pie

Oven375°F (190°C or gas mark 5)
Time40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the filling

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C or gas mark 5).

  2. Lightly coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray.

  3. Place over medium heat and add the onion and two squashes.

  4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and all liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

  5. Place the vegetables in a bowl to cool slightly.

  6. Add the egg substitute, feta cheese, flour, and oregano, then stir to combine and set aside.

Assemble the pie

  1. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a 9-inch (22.5 cm) pie plate, allowing any excess dough to loosely drape over the sides, and lightly coat with cooking spray.

  2. Repeat, using three more phyllo sheets, spraying after each addition.

  3. Pour the prepared vegetable-egg mixture into the pie shell and smooth out the surface.

  4. Top the pie with the remaining four sheets of phyllo, spraying each layer with cooking spray before adding another sheet.

  5. Cut the phyllo 1 inch (2.5 cm) beyond the rim of the pie pan.

  6. Fold this dough over towards the center to make an edge just inside the rim.

Bake and cool

  1. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until nicely browned and puffed.

  2. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

830Calories
28 gProtein
30 gFat
111 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Feta Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Egg Substitute1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Pumpkinnot in our table0
Phyllo Doughnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + oreganotop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,443 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  2. Olive + feta cheesetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,482 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).

  3. Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  4. Feta cheese + oreganotop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together359 recipes

    Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).

  5. Feta cheese + phyllo doughtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together27 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Zucchini
Forms the bulk of the filling; cooking off its liquid keeps the pie from turning soggy.
Liquid egg substitute
Binds the vegetables and sets into a sliceable, custard-like filling when baked.
Feta cheese
Adds salty, tangy flavor and a crumbly richness to the filling.
All-purpose flour
Absorbs residual moisture and helps the filling hold together when baked.
Oregano
Provides the dominant herbal aroma that defines the flavor of the pie.
Phyllo dough
Bakes into crisp, golden, flaky layers that encase the filling.

The step that matters

Cook the squash until all liquid has evaporated. Water left in the vegetables would thin the egg mixture and steam the phyllo from below, leaving a soggy base instead of a firm, browned pie.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, egg, feta cheese, flour, oregano, phyllo dough):

  1. Spinachfits better
  2. Welsh onionfits better
  3. Tomatofits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, egg, feta cheese, flour, oregano, phyllo dough. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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