Italian Spinach Sausage Pie

Excellent with a few modifications...for 1 pie, I thought this was way too much filling. I used 3 links of hot turkey sausage browned with 1 diced onion and 2 minced cloves of garlic. One pk of defrosted spinach, 3 eggs, 2c. of mozzarella, 1/2c. pecorino romano, and kept the ricotta measurement the same. The pecorino really adds more flavor to this pie. It is rich and dense and so very tasty. Thanks!

I cut a very similar recipe out of the LA times in the early 70's and it quickly became a family and neighborhood favorite. Called then "Mrs. C's Sausage and Spinach Pie" my kids would ask me to make it for dinner and then all their friends would come too. To me it's not a Christmas type dish, but every family has it's traditions. I do like to serve it with cranberry sauce because I like the contrast with the spinach and cheese. It is rich and dense. My husband and I would get tired of it if we tried to eat it all ourselves, so we have some and then it gets recycled into lunches for the grandkids. It keeps and reheats very well. My 2 year old grandson hangs on the refrigerator and calls for "pinch pie." I use sweet Italian sausage, a 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded and 2/3 C ricotta cheese (1/2 of a 16 oz container).

Wonderful to eat and easy to make! Makes delicious leftovers. Beware that the stated amounts will make more than enough for a 10" pan. We also added chopped, canned mushrooms to the pie and served with spiced, stewed tomatoes on the side- both were fabulous additions! Have even eaten this with salsa- the tomatoes really complement the eggs and spinach.

At our home, this is a staple for large groups of company for brunch or dinner, and is always a huge hit with everyone asking for the recipe. Once for a shower where the new mom was a vegetarian, I made two pies and substituted for the sausage mushrooms with fennel seed and Italian seasoning. This vegetarian version was equally popular. You can easily decorate this pie by cutting leaves and rolling berries from the scraps of the crust dough--you don't need to be an artist for this. Arrange them on top after you've brushed with the egg yolk, then brush again with the yolk mixture. Voila--you look like Martha with only a couple of minutes extra effort. One extra tip: squeezing the water out of the spinach is crucial and you have to be brutal. I squeeze out what I can by thawing the spinach and compressing its package, then wringing the spinach in old kitchen towels or paper towels.

Great pie to take to a brunch. It's hearty and a small slice goes a long way. It's also good with puff pastry instead of pie crust. I also like to mix in a slightly sharper cheese such as cheddar or asiago instead of all mozzarella.

This was very good! I really like spinach, but I think that I will drop to just 10 oz. (1 box) next time. However, it was still good with the two boxes.

Really good. I used 2 pounds of sausage and it was just right. I only used 2 cups of cheese and that was just right. I used low fat cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese and it worked great. Will defintely make again.

I either made too much of the filling or the recipe called for too much. I ended up having to make two pies. I’m sure I had spinach growing out of my ears by the end of the week. It was delicious though.

Looked very pretty and was very substantial and dense. That said, more than 3/4 of this remains in the refrigerator. Don't think I would ever make again. Kind of bland though I added numerous seasonings like ground sage and nutmeg. Husband said it was too much like a quiche.

This was so good! Definately make again. I bought 2 pie crusts and inverted one on top and crimped the edges together. Yum!

Second time I have made this pie ... it's very good. This time I added a one-third-pound chunk of asiago and four small leeks (sauteed with the sausage). Other than that, pretty much as directed. Makes a very dense (don't forget to mercilessly dry out the spinach!) and flavorful pie. Thanks, Erla!

This was absolutely delicious. I made it for my Mom's Birthday tea party and it was a HUGE hit!

We made this as one of four different choices for Christmas brunch, and people gobbled it up! Followed the recipe exactly. As far as quantity of ingredients goes - I can see how this would be way too much for a standard 9" pie pan, and possibly even for a standard 10", but we have this metal pie pan that measures 10" across NOT counting a fluted edge that it has, and measures a full 2" deep, and the amount was PERFECT for a large, deep, double crust pie. It came out gorgeous with the top crust brushed with yolk. It was so substantial that we sliced it into 12 pieces (quarters, then each quarter in thirds), and each piece was still large. A definite addition to our recipe file!

I've been making this pie for 20+ years. My family has always loved it. My recipe only called for one pkg. of spinach and two cups of mozzarella. It fills a deep dish pie dish perfectly. Also, I found that I preferred sweet italian sausage in this pie.

Delicious and easy to assemble! I took other reviewers advice and cut the ingredients in half and it perfectly filled one deep dish crust. I used fresh spinach since I had some instead of frozen and only used a bottom crust.

made it exactly as written but baked in a 9" deep dish crust. Was really rich and delicious! Will definitely make again!

This was so easy and so delicious!

The only changes I made were I used a single crust, 1 package of spinach (squeezed water out really good!) 2 c mozzarella, 2 c cheddar and spicy italian sausage. Very good!

This is the only way I can get my husband to eat spinach. I made minor changes: I added a can of mushrooms, substituted fresh garlic for garlic powder and only used a single crust.

I really enjoyed this recipe!! However I did make a few changes. I used about 4 oz of fresh spinach leaves(whole, with stems cut off), and added onion, red peppers, and green peppers to the mix. Instead of using another pie crust for topping I topped with some mozzarella I had set aside from the 4 cups. Everyone enjoyed the pie! Will make again!

I made this without the crust, as a low-carb alternative. It didn't have to bake as long as a casserole, maybe 30-35 minutes. It was delicious!! The whole family enjoyed it, even the kids who aren't watching their carbs;) Will definately be making this again!

I'm sure the original is fabulous too but due to family (not mine!) preference I used turkey sausage and broccoli instead of italian sausage and spinach. We loved it and I will make it again. I have now made the recipe as written and it received rave reviews from all who ate it!

I found this to be too much filling for 1 pie, so I switched it to 2 single crust pies (because I only had 2 crusts total). I found my crust edges to be overbrowning before the time limit, and would suggest the use of pie protectors (if you don't have them, slips of tin foil foiled around the edges of the pie once it's properly browned work, too). Thanks for the recipe!

Extremely tasty. I modified it by taking out one of the packages of spinach, eliminating the top crust and added sauteed mushrooms and onions and some parmesan cheese to it. Definitely a Man-quiche!

Excellent....look at my photo

My husband loved this! I used many of the comments left by others to make mine to our tastes.

Very good! I think the next time I make it, I will add some cream cheese as well, and maybe green chiles for an extra kick.

I added 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp crushed fennel, also used 1 1/3 c of ricotta to use up the container I had and 1 1/4 lb sausage. Otherwise all else as directed. Used deep dish pie pan to fit it all in. Was great! Definitely will make again.

I found that there was too much filling and took used roughly 15 oz spinach, 3 cups mozzarella and 14 oz sausage. It turned out rich and quite delicious.

I followed the recipe with a few twists and it turned out okay. Not much spice so I added a tsp of Italian seasoning and a few pinches of crushed red pepper. Also added 1/4 cup of red wine and 1/4 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese. The top was easy...I just got two deep dish pies, let them defrost, and used one for the top. Got that cool sunburst shape by using a cup to cut the circle and then a sharp knife to chop 8 wedges from the circle. The consistency was a little gooey and I'd expected the egg to firm things up. Definitely make the whole batch of filling and shape it into a dome while spooning it into the shell - this is supposed to be a very full pie and it's far more impressive when it's bigger. If I made this again I'd really goose the spices for more flavor. The basic recipe has potential.

My 50-year-old father, who is one of the biggest foodies I know, took one bite of this, paused, and said "This is one of the best things I've ever eaten." I've never gotten a reaction like that from him before! Keep this one around, you guys. It's sure to impress!

This was really great and everyone really enjoyed it. As other reviewers stated the measurements were a little off. I used 1 deep dish pie (I did not put crust on the top)and cut back the following: Used on 1 package of spinach and 2 cups of italian blend cheese. It was the perfect consistency and filled the pie just right. I increased the seasonings and used Jimmy Dean Hot sausage (we like spicy). I also put a little cream cheese in with the sausage after I cooked it and might use a little more next time :) Some swiss cheese would be really good also. I made the sausage egg cheese mix the night before and kept it covered in the fridge but kept the spinach separate so that in the morning all I had to do was blend in the spinach and pour it into the plate. Worked perfect!!! I am making it again for brunch on Saturday! Thankyou!

I followed SLJ6's (first to review) modifications and this pie turned out great. It will be made again and again. My roommates loved it.

Loved it - Tripled the recipe but only used 1 lb sausage and the 2 packs of spinach - added an extra egg and some Mrs. Dash - Instead of a pie crust - used three Jiffy cornbread mix- mixed as directed on box. spread in a greased 11x13 pan and baked ten minutes -Pulled crust out of oven partly cooked and spread filling on top - Baked 50 minutes as directed

This was a great recipe. I agree with others that said it could have used a little more spice/flavor and anticipate playing with some suggestions the next time I make it. I also agree that there is a ton of filling. I made 1 pie and 12 mini-pies (using the Breakfast Pies recipe as a base), and they were still overflowing (even with the deep dish pie crust). To make the mini pies I used refrigerated crescent dough and a standard muffin pan. I used 1 triangle for the base placing it in the individual muffin cups, and 1/3 of one triangle for the top. Next time I think I will only use 1/2 of the dough for the bottom because it got a little thick but was still great. I followed the same instructions in this recipe, only mini-scale and then baked at 400 for about 15 minutes per the other recipe. They turned out great. The pie I did as written and it was wonderful. I'm hoping they will freeze ok because it is way too much food for one person and I don't see how I can possibly finish it all. Plus, I wouldn't want this goodness to go to waste :)

I had something like this when I was a teenager and have been searching for the recipe ever since. It was a tad salty for my taste, so I'll omit the salt next time. I made my own crust as well. I'm thinking of making this in mini turnover form for a party.

Tasty & delicious! I served this when my parents came over for dinner & they demanded the recipe. As previous reviewers have noted, the instructions result in way too much filling for 1 pie, I also reduced the spinach by a 1/3.

YUMMY!! I made this tonight and we all LOVED it! My kids [2, 5, 8, & 11] ate it up and asked for more...glad I made two! I followed the recipe except I used fresh spinach (cooked w/ garlic & olive oil). It made enough to pour into 2 ready-made pillsbury pie crusts. With 4 kids...we needed 2 pies! Thanks for a great recipe.

I’ve also been making this recipe for 20+ years. It looks beautiful, travels very well, and tastes great right out of the oven, at room temp, or reheated. It is guaranteed to get devoured at pot lucks. Lately I reduce the fat content by using chicken sausage, 2 cups of lowfat cheese, lowfat cottage cheese for the ricotta, and only one crust, which I put it on top because I it looks and tastes better than using just one crust on the bottom. It’ll cook in about an hour without the bottom crust. I also add a can of mushrooms (no point in using fresh in a recipe like this), sometimes some onions, and I use real garlic and more black pepper. I add these to the sausage while it’s browning to meld the flavors a little. I think the variations in spiciness are due to the sausage that people use. I don’t really care for mild sausage in this recipe. If you want more flavor, use hot sausage or add some red pepper flakes, fennel and sautéed onions. Make sure to squeeze the spinach really dry. It does make a lot and you’ll need to use a large pie pan. I’d say it more like twelve servings, not eight. I use a ceramic pan that is about 11” across and 2 ½” deep. Those ones that the frozen pie crust comes in will not be big enough even though they say ‘deep dish’. You can mound the filling up to make it all fit.

I made this dish last night and was very impressed on how it came out. Very tasty. Next time I might add a can of mushrooms or something to it. I can see myself making this 2 or 3 times a month! Very easy to assemble. Tonight is leftovers with a side salad. Thank you for sharing!

this was great

I prepare this for Christmas parties, slice the pie into 8 servings in the baking dish and garnish the top of each slice with a small piece of roasted red pepper. Very festive looking.

This is very delicious and VERY filling. Will feed a small army.

Took it for co-workers, they loved it.

I really liked this pie but my girlfriend didn't so much... I guess it's your choice. I would make it again. As for this pie it was really filling! It's a great dinner pie

Mmmmm...Mmm... This tasted great. Very easy to make.

This was a huge hit. I did not put a top crust on though. It didn't need it. I use Dorie Greenspan's Good for Just About Anything Pie Crust and highly recommend it. It comes out great everytime.

This was tasty and easy, but definitely needed more spices. Made it for brunch, but I think would have worked better for dinner. It made two pie crusts full.

OK, but not worth repeating.

I had a lot of spinach in the freezer and eggs in the fridge and was looking for a recipe to use them. This fit the bill perfectly. My family loved it. So much so that I made one and froze it for when I was out of town. I will definitely make this often.

tasty, smells great. cost about $15 to gather cheeses, sausage, and pie crust at trader joes, but makes a lot. 1/2 t salt seemed too tiny for the giant bowl of mix so i tripled it. it was a couple pinches too much i'd say. try doubling salt to 1 teaspoon. don't be tempted to toss in frozen spinach straight from freezer - you'll have a very soupy pie if you don't squeeze out water. i did this - wasn't a disaster but kind of a silly soup pie. i used spicy sausage and added crushed red peppers (couple dashes). i'd like to do this recipe again to take or host. the glisteney savory pie seems festive and special - not the usual pasta dish.

Drizzle slices with red sauce to spice it up. My similar recipe has been a family staple for 20 years.

Wonderful, did use tofu sausage instead of real sausage and added garlic and onion while tofu was cooking. Loved it!!!

This is a really good pie! From the rave reviews of my family, definitely a 5-star recipe. My only reason for rating a 4 is because of the 'bland' cheese blend and as many others have stated, it makes too much filling. You must use the deep dish pie pan. I'm going to make this again in a couple of weeks and try a couple different cheeses with perhaps a spicy italian sausage rather than a mild. This pie is definitely for those with a hearty appetite, I cut it into 8 slices and couldn't finish a whole one - it was great with a little salsa on the side as well. Kudo's - yet another great recipe on here!

I just didn't use the salt or garlic & increased the ricotta to 15oz container. Too good!

This is a good recipe. I will say that it was pretty heavy. The double crust makes this a dense dish. I wonder how it would taste with philo instead.

I love this recipe! The pie is dense and delicious