Master the Art of Spinach Feta Pizza: Easy Recipe with Homemade Tomato Sauce
Imagine a pizza that combines freshness, tanginess, and a delightful crunch, all on a perfectly crisp base. Our Spinach Feta Pizza with Homemade Tomato Sauce is exactly that—a recipe you’ll find yourself turning to again and again. It’s a simple yet profoundly flavorful dish, consistently delivering exceptional results. The secret lies in its foundation: a golden, crisp crust, complemented by a rich, aromatic homemade tomato sauce. Topped with tender, soft spinach, salty feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts, each bite offers a beautiful symphony of textures and tastes. A scattering of fresh cherry tomatoes adds a final burst of bright, juicy freshness, elevating the entire experience.
This isn’t just any pizza; it’s pizza done right. It’s quick enough for a busy weeknight, reliable for consistently delicious outcomes, and packed with an incredible depth of flavor that makes it feel truly special. Whether you’re planning a casual family dinner or upholding a “Fast Food Friday” tradition, this homemade pizza promises to satisfy without any stress. Its vibrant ingredients and straightforward preparation make it a delightful alternative to heavier takeout options, ensuring a meal that feels both wholesome and indulgent.

Spinach Feta Pizza: An Effortless Recipe Bursting with Fresh Flavors
This spinach feta pizza holds a special place in my recipe collection, primarily because it brilliantly unites some of my absolute favorite ingredients onto a single, irresistible crust. The vibrant spinach infuses a refreshing, earthy note, while the creamy, salty feta cheese adds a delightful tang that truly makes the flavors pop. Crucially, the addition of lightly toasted pine nuts introduces a subtle, buttery crunch, elevating the texture profile from good to extraordinary. The burst of sweetness and juiciness from a handful of cherry tomatoes scattered on top brings a perfect balance to the savory elements, creating a truly harmonious bite.
For me, this combination of spinach, feta, and pine nuts echoes the beloved flavors found in traditional Spanakopita, and I’ve found that it translates beautifully to a pizza format. It’s a testament to how well these ingredients complement each other, offering a taste of the Mediterranean in every slice. I have refined and tested this recipe countless times, and its consistency is remarkable: every single time, it yields a delightfully crisp pizza base, a tomato sauce that tastes like it has been slow-simmering for hours (even though it’s quick!), and toppings that bake into a perfectly balanced, gooey, and satisfying layer.
One of the key elements that sets this pizza apart is the homemade tomato sauce. I genuinely believe that a great pizza starts with an exceptional sauce, and this recipe delivers exactly that. It’s incredibly fast to prepare from scratch, yet its depth of flavor far surpasses any store-bought alternative I’ve ever encountered. The fresh herbs and simple aromatics create a rich, vibrant base that perfectly complements the robust toppings.
When it comes to the pizza dough, I often find myself with two options: either I roll out my own homemade dough, a process that can be quite therapeutic, or I opt for a good quality store-bought base for convenience. Regardless of the choice, the assembly remains straightforward, ensuring that this pizza transitions from kitchen counter to oven with minimal fuss. The end result is always a meal that feels both effortlessly prepared and wonderfully gourmet, proving that you don’t need complex steps for extraordinary taste.
Expert Tips for Crafting Your Perfect Spinach Feta Pizza
To ensure your spinach feta pizza turns out absolutely perfect every single time, here are some invaluable tips gathered from numerous successful batches:
- Toast Your Pine Nuts: Don’t skip this step! Roasting pine nuts in a dry pan until they turn a light golden color significantly deepens their nutty flavor and enhances their crunch. This small effort makes a huge difference in the overall taste profile of your pizza.
- Thoroughly Drain the Spinach: This is critical for preventing a soggy crust. After stir-frying or thawing your spinach, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Excess moisture will release during baking and can lead to a less-than-crisp pizza base.
- Invest in Quality Feta: The type of feta cheese you use matters. Opt for a good-quality, authentic feta cheese. It typically has a creamier texture and a richer, saltier flavor that melts beautifully and distributes evenly on the pizza, rather than becoming rubbery.
- Simmer the Sauce Adequately: While the homemade tomato sauce is quick, allowing it to simmer for at least 10 minutes is essential. This crucial step allows all the flavors—garlic, shallot, herbs, and tomatoes—to meld together and intensify, creating a truly robust and fragrant base for your pizza.
- Preheat Your Oven Thoroughly: A hot oven is key to achieving that coveted crispy crust. Make sure your oven is fully preheated to the recommended temperature before sliding your pizza in. For best results, consider preheating your pizza stone or baking steel if you have one.
- Handle Frozen Spinach Properly: If using frozen spinach, thaw it completely before cooking. After thawing, place it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze out every last drop of liquid. This mirrors the importance of draining fresh spinach to maintain a crisp crust.
- Don’t Overload the Toppings: While tempting, too many toppings can weigh down the crust and prevent it from cooking evenly. Aim for a balanced layer that covers the sauce without piling up too high.
- Fresh Herbs for a Fresh Taste: While dried Italian herbs are convenient, fresh basil, oregano, or a mix of Italian herbs added right before or after baking will infuse a vibrant aroma and flavor that dried herbs can’t quite replicate.

📖 Recipe Card: Spinach Feta Pizza
RECIPE CARD

Andréa
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Ingredients
Pizza sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cups sieved tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ oz. fresh Italian herbs, (such as basil, thyme, rosemary)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
Pizza
- 1 pizza base, (ready-made or homemade)
- pizza sauce, (from above)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 oz. fresh spinach
- 9 oz. feta cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Pizza sauce
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Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.1 tablespoon olive oil
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Add garlic and shallot, and cook 3 minutes until soft.1 clove garlic, 1 shallot
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Stir in sieved tomatoes and sugar.2 cups sieved tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sugar
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Place herbs and bay leaf on top. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.½ oz. fresh Italian herbs, 1 bay leaf
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Place the herbs on top of the sauce and bring to the boil.
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Then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Remove herbs and season with salt and pepper.salt and pepper
Pizza Preparation
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Preheat oven to 430 ℉ (220 °C).
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Place the pizza base on a baking tray. Evenly spread a generous layer of the prepared homemade pizza sauce over the entire base, leaving a small border for the crust.1 pizza base, pizza sauce
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Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the washed fresh spinach and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, just until it wilts. Immediately remove from heat and drain very well, pressing out any excess liquid to ensure a crispy pizza.1 tablespoon olive oil, 10 oz. fresh spinach
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Evenly spread the drained spinach over the pizza sauce. Crumble the feta cheese generously over the spinach layer.9 oz. feta cheese
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Halve the cherry tomatoes and artfully arrange them on top of the feta and spinach.8 cherry tomatoes
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Generously sprinkle the pizza with the toasted pine nuts and dried Italian herbs.3 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
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Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp, and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Slice and serve hot!
Notes
2. Variations to Personalize Your Pizza
- Mediterranean Twist: For an even deeper Mediterranean flavor profile, consider adding thinly sliced black olives or Kalamata olives before baking. Their briny taste beautifully complements the feta and tomatoes.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Richness: Instead of fresh cherry tomatoes, you can use chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained) for an intensified, concentrated tomato flavor that adds extra richness.
- Spice It Up: If you enjoy a bit of heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes sprinkled over the sauce or toppings will give your pizza a nice kick.
- Add Protein: For a non-vegetarian option, cooked chicken breast (shredded or diced) or crumbled Italian sausage would be delicious additions. Make sure any meat is fully cooked before adding it to the pizza.
- Different Greens: While spinach is traditional, arugula added fresh after the pizza comes out of the oven can give a peppery, fresh bite.
3. Storage and Reheating Tips
- Homemade Sauce: The prepared pizza sauce is versatile. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s also freezer-friendly; portion it out and freeze for up to 2-3 months for quick future pizzas or pasta dishes.
- Leftover Pizza in the Fridge: Cooked leftover pizza slices can be stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheating Pizza: For the best results, reheat slices in a preheated oven (around 350 ℉ or 175 °C) for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through and the crust is crisp again. A toaster oven works great for single slices. Avoid the microwave if you want to preserve the crispy crust.
- Freezing Baked Pizza: To freeze baked slices, let them cool completely. Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and store in a freezer-safe bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in the oven until hot and crisp.
Nutrition
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The Magic of Homemade Tomato Sauce
While the toppings are undeniably delicious, the true soul of any great pizza lies in its sauce. Our homemade tomato sauce isn’t just a base; it’s a vibrant, aromatic foundation that elevates every other ingredient. The beauty of making your own sauce is the control you have over its freshness and flavor. Using simple ingredients like fresh garlic, shallots, sieved tomatoes, and a bouquet of Italian herbs, you can create a sauce that tastes simmered for hours in just 10-15 minutes. The sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes, creating a smooth, rich flavor profile that store-bought sauces often lack.
This quick and easy sauce allows you to avoid preservatives and artificial flavors, ensuring your pizza is as wholesome as it is delicious. It’s a game-changer for homemade pizza, providing a depth of flavor that truly sets this Spinach Feta Pizza apart. Plus, any extra sauce can be stored for future use, making your next pizza night even faster.
Serving Suggestions for Your Spinach Feta Pizza
This delightful spinach and feta pizza is a complete meal on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with a few simple sides to create a more extensive spread. Consider serving it alongside a crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the cheese. A refreshing cucumber and tomato salad, perhaps with a sprinkle of dill, would also complement the Mediterranean flavors beautifully. For drinks, a light-bodied red wine, a crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, or even a sparkling lemonade would be excellent choices. Don’t forget to have some extra fresh basil on hand for a final garnish right before serving.
Why Choose Homemade Pizza?
Making pizza at home offers numerous benefits beyond just delicious taste. It allows for complete customization, ensuring every ingredient meets your preferences and dietary needs. You can choose healthier crust options, control the amount of cheese and oil, and load up on fresh vegetables. It’s also a fantastic activity for families, allowing everyone to participate in the topping selection and assembly. The aroma of a freshly baked pizza filling your home is an experience in itself, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that no takeout order can replicate. Furthermore, homemade pizza is often more cost-effective than ordering from a restaurant, especially when feeding a crowd.
More Delicious Pizza Creations
- Quick Taco Pizza with Ground Beef and Garlic Sauce (25-Minute Recipe)
- Easy Chicken Alfredo Pizza
- Classic French Pissaladière