Mediterranean Eggplant & Feta Tarts
These easy to make eggplant and feta phyllo tarts are a perfect combination of savory and sweet.
Crunchy layers of phyllo dough are topped with tangy crumbled feta and cooked eggplant, finished with a drizzle of warm honey. This tart was incredibly delicious! The combination of flavors and textures come together for an impressive result. And they are so easy to put together.
Typically, in the Greek kitchen, pies (also known as pites) are closed: phyllo on the top and bottom. This open faced pita recipe was inspired by a recipe that I saw in a french magazine. I do love all sorts of tarts and quiches, but I don’t like having all that heavy crust, so using phyllo is a great alternative. And phyllo dough is so forgiving. Don’t worry about it looking messy, when it bakes it is just fine. The phyllo crust requires very little effort and is a much healthier replacement for typical puff pastry dough.
To serve: You can cut these eggplant and feta tarts in triangles and serve as an appetizer or serve them whole as a first course or a light lunch along with a salad. You can also make the crust rounds smaller or larger depending on your needs.
Phyllo Dough, The Healthiest Crust
Phyllo dough is considered the healthiest dough you can use. The phyllo I use contains less than 1 gram of fat per 3 ounces (100 grams), generally phyllo you find outside of Greece is about 2-3 grams fat per 100 grams. On the other hand, puff pastry may contain 10-20 times more fat. It is important to note that phyllo dough is not the same as puff pastry. Puff pastry is made with plenty of butter, phyllo is not. Before we move on to the recipe, I’d like to clarify that the word phyllo in Greek, is a general term for all kinds of dough. So for example this type used in this recipe is called phyllo kroustas, which I usually buy, however sometimes I’ll make homemade olive oil crust which is also called phyllo. That said, I’m always looking for ways to use phyllo as a replacement for other types of dough that contain more calories, saturated fats and a bunch of other ingredients I would rather not consume. By layering a few of these sheets of phyllo while brushing them or spraying them with olive oil you can make a tart or pie base.
How to Work with Phyllo Dough
- If using frozen defrost in the refrigerator and open carefully.
- When working with phyllo you want to make sure it does not dry out, so keep it covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- Make sure most of the surface of the phyllo is covered with olive oil
Mediterranean Eggplant & Feta tarts
Ingredients
- 14 sheets defrosted phyllo dough
- Olive Oil for brushing phyllo + 2 tablespoons for sautéing the eggplant
- 12 ounces crumbled feta (350 grams)
- 2 medium eggplant
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 degrees C).
- Line a pan with parchment paper.
- Thinly slice the eggplant.
- In a large pan heat the olive oil and sauté the eggplant for 3 minutes carefully, not to smash the eggplant. Remove eggplant from pan and set aside.
- On a clean surface lay a sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Layer a total of 7 sheets one on top of each other while brushing with olive oil in between layers.
- Now cut a circle into the phyllo (through all the layers) of about 6-7 inches (15 cm) in diameter (I used a bowl for the circle).
- Place the phyllo discs on the pan and turn in the outer part to form a little border.
- Repeat this for the other 7 phyllo sheets. You should have 6 medium phyllo discs in total.
- Sprinkle each dish with about 1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta and then place the eggplant slices on top.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until phyllo is golden and base of phyllo has hardened.
- Remove and let them cool.
- When ready to serve, heat the honey for a few seconds and drizzle over the tarts.
SAVE FOR LATER AND PIN IT
Photos by Elena Paravantes All Rights Reserved
Hello Elena,
First, I’m excited to have found this site. I think it strikes the right balance between a meat and plant based diet.
Second, How many people would this typically serve?
Also is it too much too ask to have a nutrition label attached to your recipes, particularly showing the calorie/kilojoule count?
Edit: Apologies if you do typically include a calorie count with your recipes. The first couple I looked at didn’t but I have just come across others that do.
Thank you Helen! No worries. Occasionally I’ll add calories, but I focus on the nutrients of the dish in the post, generally though we do not focus on counting calories, eating the right quality and balance of foods will balance out.
I’m afraid I don’t fully understand the instructions regarding prepping the phyllo. From what I’m understanding I will have 2, 7 sheet squares from which I am to cut 6 tart bases…so cutting 3 bases from each stack of 7? Usually frozen phyllo dough comes in 18″ widths…is there enough room to cut 3 shells from this?
By the way, I love your recipes. Have made many of them. Thank you for your wonderful taste.
Thanks Marcus! Yes you will have 2 stacks of 7 sheet squares. You should be able to cut three 5-6 inch discs from a 14 X 18 inch sheet, but if you choose smaller sheets (depends on the brand, you may not be able to fit them).
I just got back from spending thee weeks with my wife in Eastern Crete. We experienced the “real” Mediterranean diet front and center. I should confess the food and wine we tasted beyond our expectations. What was amazing is the consistency of high quality of veggies, fish, and oven cooked veal an lamb with tomatoes, bell peppers and onions coupled with carafe of house wine wherever you go. I highly recommend to visit Crete at least for couple of weeks if you never been there.
Thanks for sharing Michael!
Hi, this recipe is so nice…i came to Greece 10 years ago and i have study your blog and one book from monastiraki to learn how to.cook greek ….today i cook only greek and i love it. The plant based food is so nice here in Greece , but many greek housewifes in my age dont cook healthy .They buy proccesed food , cheap food and give to.kids lot of sweets…it is sad if you think how amazing is real greek food….for example this tart ….my kids love it !
Can the phyllo tarts be frozen and completed with the eggplant at a later date?
Hi Irene, I would freeze only the prepared phyllo tarts without any of the fillings.