Spinach Ricotta Rolls
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Spinach Ricotta Rolls are easy spinach roll recipe with low – fat ricotta cheese. Made with store bought puff pasty, you get a week dinner ready to enjoy in 35 minutes !
Besides great healthy vegetarian week dinner, these spinach ricotta rolls are amazing appetizers for parties and afternoon snack as well.
Once you see the ingredients’ list and how easy it is to prepare these Spinach Ricotta Rolls with simple puff pastry sheet, you will find out, once baked, how smooth and rich taste can be found in such a healthy dish.
In Italy spinach often comes with ricotta. And rightly so. It’s a match made in heaven.
The key to this perfect combination is, I firmly believe, ricotta cheese, low fat Italian creamy cheese that is so great to use in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is amazing replacement for high fat cheeses and here are some of our ricotta dishes so you see how versatile it is :
Ricotta Rosemary Cake with Mascarpone Icing
6 – inch Italian Easter Ricotta Pie
High quality ricotta is easy spreadable and soft. If you have freshly made ricotta then it is too watery and you need to drain it in a colander for at least 20 minutes.
That way, excess water runs out and you have creamy texture desired for recipes including ricotta.
Here you see how ricotta looks once layered on puff pastry :
The photo below shows spinach layer. If you use frozen spinach, once thawed, it may contain too much water. To remove excess liquid you may use the back of a table spoon to press as much liquid as you can out of the spinach. I suggest you do this in a sieve set over the bowl :
And now, here is the roll prepared for cutting into 12 slices:
If you get plenty of fresh baby spinach, for instance, and think of making some freezer stocks, you may wonder if these Spinach Ricotta Rolls can be frozen.
The answer is: Yes ! These can be frozen once cooked (cool, then store in airtight container) or frozen raw. Defrosting then refreezing raw puff pastry is fine, it puffs up a tiny bit less but in this roll form, it’s not noticeable.
Bake from frozen for 15 minutes if already cooked, 30 minutes if raw. Or defrost then bake for 10 minutes if already cooked for 25 minutes per recipe if raw.
Can spinach ricotta be frozen ?
Yes, it’s perfectly fine to freeze. If using to stuff something, then thaw, give it a good mix then use per recipe. If it’s already prepared, like Cannelloni, it can even be cooked from frozen.
What is the best way to cook my leftover spinach aside from making salad?
The best suggestions are given by Ian De Pagie .
He suggests : Polpette di spinaci e ricotta, spinach and ricotta balls, Ricotta and spinach pie and Ravioli ricotta and spinach.
For more details, please visit his site !
Is there a secret to cooking spinach without the bitter taste that uncooked spinach doesn’t have ?
Avoid Overcooking.
Remove the spinach from the heat as soon as the leaves begin to wilt.
The heat will continue to cook the leaves after you transfer them to a plate, wilting any leaves that still look uncooked. … This overcooks the leaves and creates a stronger bitter flavor than when they were freshly cooked.
How do you make spinach taste better?
- Cook it with whole garlic cloves. This infuses a subtle garlic flavor throughout, without being too overwhelming. …
- Don’t overcook it! Cook just until its wilted. …
- Add a squeeze of lemon at the end. Add hint of fresh lemon juice adds brightness to the flavor. …
- Salt it perfectly.
Spinach Ricotta Rolls
Spinach Ricotta Rolls are easy spinach roll recipe with low - fat ricotta cheese. Made with store bought puff pasty, you get a week dinner ready to enjoy in 35 minutes !
Ingredients
- Puff pastry, 14 x 11 inches approx, store-bought
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 1 cup chopped spinach, blanched, excess liquid removed
- Garlic powder and salt to taste
- 2 eggs, whisked
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180° C / 356°F.
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Cover a baking pan (approx 10 x 7 inches) with baking paper and oil the paper lightly.
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Roll out the pastry (16 x 10 inches).
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Spread Ricotta over the pastry with a tablespoon.
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Spread the spinach layer carefully over the cheese.
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Season with garlic powder and salt to taste.
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Roll up the pastry width ways, to make a filled roll, 16 inches long.
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Cut the roll into 12 portions and put them in the baking pan.
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Brush the whisked eggs over the filled pastry.
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Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until you see the pastry is risen, puffy and golden.
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