This easy cheese pie with kataifi pastry and Roquefort is crunchy on top, soft and creamy inside, and a little tangy from the blue cheese. Most kataifi recipes are syrupy desserts, but shredded phyllo is just as good savory. Here it wraps a filling of Greek feta, mozzarella, and a little Roquefort, and a simple custard of eggs, milk, and cream is poured over the pie before baking. There are no sheets to brush and layer: you just spread, fill, pour, and bake.
What is kataifi pastry
Kataifi (kah-tah-EE-fee) is shredded phyllo dough: fine, hair-thin strands of pastry, usually sold frozen in one-pound packages. Brushed with butter and baked, it turns golden and very crisp. In Greece it’s best known in syrupy nut pastries, but it works just as well in savory pies like this one.
Despite the “shredded phyllo” nickname, kataifi isn’t cut from phyllo sheets. It’s made from a thin flour-and-water batter streamed onto a hot, spinning griddle, where it sets into long threads in seconds. That’s why it bakes up lighter and crunchier than layered phyllo, which lets the cheese filling shine.
Across Greece, the Middle East, and Turkey (where it’s called kadayif), kataifi is usually rolled around chopped walnuts or pistachios and soaked in honey syrup scented with orange or rose water. More recently, it’s the toasted crunch inside the viral Dubai chocolate bar.
How to make this savory pie
This kataifi cheese pie has lots of feta cheese, a little Roquefort, shredded mozzarella, eggs, butter, and fresh herbs. I love the tangy flavor Roquefort cheese adds to it. You only need a little bit for a great payoff.
The milk and heavy cream are mixed with the eggs and create a custard poured all over the pie right before baking. The result is a fluffy, creamy, luxurious cheese pie that is decadent and a real treat.
You will need
- Kataifi pastry
- Butter
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Roquefort cheese
- Greek feta cheese like Vikos or Dodoni
- Mozzarella cheese
- Thyme leaves
- Chili flakes
This is my process:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix three of the eggs, all the crumbled/shredded cheese, and a pinch or two chili pepper flakes in a bowl.
- Butter the pan bottom and sides.
- Divide the kataifi into two equal parts and spread one part in the pan. Gently open it up with your hands to spread evenly on the bottom of your pan. Make sure the kataifi is fully thawed (overnight in the fridge is best). Cold, frozen strands snap instead of pulling apart.
- Add all the cheese filling on top.
- Melt the butter.
- Add the rest of the kataifi phyllo on top. Spread it around as evenly as you can. Pour the melted butter all over.
- Lightly whisk the other three eggs, the milk, and the heavy cream. Pour the liquid all over the cheese pie.
- Bake for about 60 minutes at 350°F (175°C), until the top is deep golden and the custard is set in the center (160°F/71°C on an instant-read thermometer).
- Let the pie cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Tips & substitutions
- Kataifi can be found in most Middle Eastern food markets, supermarkets and specialty stores. It is usually sold frozen.
- Shreded phyllo pastry dries out quickly. Keep the amount you are not using under a damp kitchen towel while you are assembling the pie.
- Thawed kataifi pastry keeps about a week if stored in the refrigerator. It should be under a damp towel and wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap.
- Feel free to use any blue cheese you like. I love Roquefort, but it is not always available. I have also used gorgonzola, stilton, and danish blue cheese I have found in my local cheese shop.
- Use the best feta you can find. I always buy Greek feta. My favorites are Dodoni and Vikos brands. Please avoid fat-free “feta”, french feta as well as the packaged crumbled versions that are sold in supermarkets. They are not real feta cheese.
- You can substitute any cheese that melts well for the mozzarella. Use Swiss, Emmental, or even Gouda. Try to get a mild-flavored cheese; you want the delicate but tangy Roquefort flavor to come through.
- You can make this cheese pie with regular phyllo sheets or with your favorite pie crust.
What to serve with this savory pie
This delicious savory pie can be a main dish, a great side, or a delicious appetizer if cut into smaller pieces.
Because it is rich and decadent, I love pairing a piece with a large green salad or a briam–greek ratatouille and enjoy it for dinner. It makes a great side to a roasted chicken with lemon potatoes.
Whatever you choose to serve it with, I am confident you can’t go wrong!
FAQ
More ways to use kataifi pastry
Once you have a package open, kataifi is easy to play with:
- Savory: wrap it around shrimp or cubes of feta and bake until crisp, or make little nests filled with a spoonful of cheese filling.
- Sweet: the classic Greek kataifi rolls filled with walnuts and soaked in honey syrup, or ekmek kataifi, a layered dessert of syrupy kataifi, custard, and whipped cream.
- Crunchy topping: toast a handful in butter until golden and scatter it over salads, yogurt, or ice cream.
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If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.
Easy Cheese pie with Kataifi Pastry & Roquefort
Equipment
- 14 x 9-inch (36.5 x 23.5 cm) baking dish, about 3 quarts (2.7 L
Ingredients
- 1 lb kataifi pastry, thawed, (450g)
- 1 cup butter, (225g / 2 sticks)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream, (240ml)
- 2 cups whole milk, (480ml)
- ½ cup Roquefort cheese, (about 70g), crumbled
- 2 cups Greek feta, (about 300g, crumbled (like Vikos or Dodoni)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, (about 115g), shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1–2 pinches chili pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly butter the bottom and sides of your pan.
- Crumble the feta and Roquefort and shred the mozzarella.Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave.
- In a bowl, mix three of the eggs, all the cheese, 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, and a pinch or two chili pepper flakes.
- Divide the kataifi pastry in half. Spread one half in the pan. Gently pull the strands to cover the pan evenly.
- Pour the cheese filling on top.
- Add the remaining pastry. Gently pull the strands to cover the filling evenlyPour the melted butter all over the kataifi.
- In a bowl, mix the remaining three eggs with the milk and heavy cream. Pour the liquid all over the pie.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, until deep golden and the custard is set in the center (160°F/71°C).
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Would surely love to make this cheesy and delicious Pie. Cheesy Pies are my all time favorite. Thanks
This is definitely a delicious and easy dish to make for everyone for dinner. I will save and will prepare all the ingredients, thank you!
Ooooooh … I’m so excited! I’ve never actually worked with kataifi pastry, but I do love its “disheveled tangled texture”! And I for sure love Roquefort – this cheese pie is a perfect first project for working with kataifi! Thanks for the great tutorial!
Totally drooling over this cheese pie. Learnt alot about the pastry too. I would love to soon try this out. Thanks for detailed recipe.
This looks so fun and delicious! The texture would be so interesting with the kafaiti. And all that cheese sounds like heaven.
This is such a new concept to me. Totally loved the texture and taste. So making it again definitely.
Roquefort is one of my favorite cheeses so I was super excited to try this recipe. It is absolutely delicious and full of flavor! So much fun to make and the perfect comfort food for the winter months!
Wow! I have never heard of this dish. I am a fan of Greek food. There are so many recipes on your blog I want to try.
I’ve never seen such interesting cheese pie! I looks so unique and amazing! Very interesting texture!
I’ve only had kataifi pastry in baklava but this cheese pie looks so good, I’d love to try it. I’m not sure I can buy the pastry here in Italy. But I found a recipe on how to make it at home. I think I’ll try that!