We love Mediterranean food. It’s what we each grew up eating A LOT. Being 1.5 Italian, there’s always a mix of Southern Italian, Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavors happening. So, we have to have essential ingredients on hand.

One of our favorite places to shop is Fattal’s in Paterson, New Jersey. It’s a Syrian grocery store, where we get some of our favorite spices, seeds, and treats. We also can grab a quick bite at their luncheonette for falafel and spinach pies. Of course, when we can’t make it out to Fattal’s, we have to recreate these dishes at home. 

One of the things we love about the food is that it’s REAL FOOD! None of that fancy-shmancy inflated stuff. You get the real deal with simple dishes, full of flavor, culture and za’atar! Za’atar is one of the best spice blends on the planet. 

What’s za’atar? It’s a combination of ground dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds and sea salt. Some add fennel seed or coriander to it. 

Za’atar is amazing on plain flatbread with olive oil or on a spinach pie, which is made with spinach, shallots, spices and lemon juice on top of a delicious flatbread! While we make our own flatbread on a rare occasion, you can simply use store-bought, like Trader Joe’s pizza crust (which is more flatbread than pizza crust, if you ask us)

So, here’s our recipe for Spinach Za’atar Pie. Please give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments!