{"id":16805,"date":"2021-08-14T10:51:05","date_gmt":"2021-08-14T09:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthylittlecravings.com\/?p=16805"},"modified":"2022-09-29T10:20:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T09:20:51","slug":"zucchini-pie-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthylittlecravings.com\/en\/zucchini-pie-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Zucchini Pie With Whipped Feta And Pine Nuts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Are you team \"I-use-the-oven-in-Summer-despite-the-heat\"<\/em>? 'Cause I am, and today I have a recipe for you.
This Summer pie\/tart\/crostata (whatever you wanna call it): pine nuts, whipped feta and zucchini pie, for those who cannot live without their oven.
The best thing though is that we only have to blind bake the crust, everything else is raw!
Enjoy!;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A delicious zucchini pie perfect for Summer gatherings...<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This zucchini pie (or tart) screams Summer<\/strong>, from the whipped feta to marinated (with lemon) zucchini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don't know about you but when I think about feta cheese, my mind goes to watermelon feta salads and Greece.
And Greece is synonym for Summer, to me.
What about those marinated zucchini, with lemon and delicious extra virgin olive oil? SO refreshing and perfect when weather outside is too hot to grill\/saut\u00e9 on the stovetop (a city in southern Italy broke a record a few days ago: 48.8\u00b0 C - 120\u00b0 F 😅).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There's one thing I cannot live without though: the oven.<\/strong> You may think it's contradictory but it's not: when I saut\u00e9\/grill I have to actually BE next to the stovetop. When I bake instead I can put the pan into the oven, close the door and leave the room. That's it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I know you're going to see that long recipe card at the end of the blog post and you're going to think \"Oh, this is too long, it will take forever to make!\"<\/em>
Wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's all about making the pie crust and then blind baking it (more about this below). While the crust is baking, you can prepare both the feta and the zucchini.
BEST THING? You can prepare everything in advance<\/span><\/strong>, then assemble right before serving to family and friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do I need to (fully) blind bake my crust?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, because we only need a baked pie shell (well, unless you want to bake everything together - crust, feta, zucchini - but I haven't tried that yet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you're not familiar with it, to blind bake simply means to bake without a filling.<\/strong>
You can do that partially (then fill and bake again), or fully like in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to blind bake a pie crust:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


There's something we need to pay attention to, when blind baking.
Because the fat melts and creates steam, the dough is going to puff.
To avoid that, we need to weigh down the crust using pie weights, dry beans, rice (raw) or another pie pan (smaller) like I did. Remember to cover the dough with parchment paper BEFORE using those weights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to sum up: first step is rolling out the dough<\/strong>, then gently lift<\/strong> it and place<\/strong> it into the pan. Roll the rolling pin<\/strong> over the top of the pan to remove the excess dough.
Pierce<\/strong> a few holes in the base, using a fork, and freeze<\/strong> again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat is the enemy of any buttery dough.<\/span><\/strong>
The more the fat melts before<\/span> baking, the less it will melt during<\/span> baking, the less steam is going to create and the less flaky our crust will be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"45\u00b0<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why marinated zucchini?
Is zucchini better to eat raw or cooked?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My idea at the beginning was to bake everything together.
But then I decided to marinate my thinly sliced zucchini to have a crunchy<\/strong> and fresh<\/strong> component and I loved it (I am confident you'll like it too!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because raw zucchini are not that<\/span> flavorful, we are going to use a mixture of EVO oil, lemon juice and salt so they can soak and get allllll the flavorsss.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, of course the more you let them soak in the marinade, the better.<\/span><\/strong> So you can definitely prepare these in advance.
Just make sure they are thinly sliced, and to use organic high quality ones (and high quality EVO oil).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About raw vs cooked zucchini:<\/span><\/strong>
the easiest and probably healthiest way is actually eating them raw (which, btw, I didn't know until a few years ago). But hey, they're a vegetable so you can boil, bake, grill, steam, saut\u00e9 and they will still be healthy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. tip for you: make more of these zucchini: you can use them in salads too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can I substitute some of these ingredients?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You absolutely cannot substitute zucchini, otherwise the flavor changes.
You cannot substitute feta.
BUT you can use greek yogurt instead of cream cheese! It will be a bit more acidic, but you can compensate that with a bit more honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a rating and leave a comment! It would make me so happy!<\/strong>  🙂<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Remember: if you try one of my recipes, tag me on Instagram<\/a> or DM me the photos!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019t forget to pin and share this easy and delicious recipe!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n\n\n

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Whipped Feta Zucchini Pie<\/h2>\n\n\t\t
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A delicious Summery meal: creamy whipped feta with a touch of honey and lots of chives, fresh marinated zucchini and toasted pine nuts.<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print<\/a>\n\t\t<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Pin<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Prep Time: <\/span>20 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cook Time: <\/span>45 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Chill for: <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hour<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Servings: <\/span>4<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Author: <\/span>Roberta<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t

Equipment<\/h3>