About the Recipe
Spinach and ricotta rolls are a delightful savory pastry that combines the creamy texture of ricotta cheese with the earthy flavour of spinach, all encased in a flaky, golden puff pastry.
Ingredients
2 cups 440g Ricotta
2 cups 550g Spinach (when wilted will be 284g)
Puff or filo pastry approx. 4 sheets
60g Parmesan
1 cup 130g fennel
2 eggs
17g Garlic
50g Onion
3G 1tsp lemon zest
1tbsp 15g lemon juice
Method
FILLING
1. Place spinach in a bowl
1.1 Wilt spinach by pouring hot water over and turning over to ensure fully wilted
1.2 Transfer within one minute to a bowl of cold water
1.3 Transfer within one minute to a clean tea towel or cheese cloth bag
1.4 Wring out as much water as you can
1.5 Tip spinach out to a dry tea towel or paper towel
2. Measure ricotta cheese and break apart the cheese by rubbing through your fingers
3. Finely dice fennel, shallots and garlic and place in with ricotta
4. Grate parmesan cheese and add to ricotta
5. Now the spinach has lost a little more water roughly chop and when adding to the ricotta bowl loosening the spinach as you add.
5.1 Mix the contents of the bowl ensuring the ricotta and spinach of evenly distributed
6. Grate the zest of one lemon and squeeze in ½ of the lemon
7. Add one egg and fold together
ASSEMBLY
1. Lay out one pastry sheet and spoon on a line of the filling a few centimetres in from the edge of the sheet
2. Fold the edge of the pastry covering the mixture and pat down to ensure the filling is packed tight
3. Egg wash the top of the pastry then roll the log to meet the pastry under the log and pull back against the filling so the roll in tight
4. Place on a sheet of baking paper and keep in the fridge while you continue rolling more logs. (This will make it easier to cut)
COOKING
1. Preheat oven to 200°c 390°f
2. Cut the rolls to the desired size
2.1 Egg wash the top of the rolls and sprinkle with sesame or/ and nigella seeds
2.2 Place on a baking sheet and in the oven for 30 minutes and golden brown
3. Turn the rolls over to brown the bottom
OPTIONAL COOKING METHOD
1. Melt butter and oil in a fry pan, when simmering recuse heat to medium
2. Place in cut rolls and brown the bottom
3. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray and place in the oven
This will seal the bottom of the roll and make for a crispier pastry.