The puff pastry calzone is an easy and quick rustic dish to prepare, perfect for various occasions.
For instance, for appetizers and antipasti, during a buffet for a birthday or as a main course, for lunch or dinner.
Moreover, it’s the perfect choice to impress your guests during holidays and special occasions. I like to prepare this rustic dish with puff pastry both at Christmas and Easter. I fill it with different fillings based on the seasonality of the products, and every time it’s a success!
It has the shape of a half moon or ravioli and can be filled in many ways. One of my favorite fillings is surely ricotta and spinach, but this time I also added some cooked ham to make it even tastier!
The puff pastry calzone is excellent both hot and cold, and if desired, with the help of a ravioli cutter, we can make many small calzones for a single-serving version.
If you like appetizers with puff pastry don’t miss this rich and tasty collection of recipes that will help you every time you want to impress someone at the table with ease.
Here are more simple yet very tasty ideas for you:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 8 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry (round)
- 2 cups ricotta (cow, mixed or goat, as long as it's DRY)
- 3.5 oz cooked ham
- 5 oz spinach (frozen or fresh)
- 1 egg (medium whole)
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil (to grease the surface)
Tools
- Bowl
- Sieve
- Saucepan
- Ladle
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
Steps
Making this large puff pastry ravioli is really simple and quick. First, let’s deal with the spinach that we need to boil and then let drain well.
I used frozen ones. I placed three cubes of still frozen spinach (about 5 oz) in a saucepan with boiling water and boiled them for about 7-8 minutes.
Once cooked, I put them to drain in a sieve to lose all the liquid retained during cooking. We can also squeeze them with our hands without burning ourselves.
Instead of frozen, we can use fresh spinach, which should be washed, boiled, and then always left to drain.
Meanwhile, place the ricotta in a bowl. It can be mixed, cow or sheep, what matters is that it’s DRY otherwise it will also need to rest in a sieve to lose the whey.
To make it more velvety and smooth, I strained it with the help of a strainer, but it’s not mandatory.
Season the ricotta with a pinch of salt, and pepper if you like, and mix. If desired, you can add grated parmesan cheese.
Add the well-drained and chopped spinach with a knife (or with a pair of kitchen scissors).
Break a whole medium egg inside and add the diced cooked ham. Stir until it becomes a homogeneous mixture.
The filling is ready! Easier and quicker than that! Now it’s just a matter of shaping our puff pastry calzone!
On a work surface, unroll the round puff pastry and place the filling only on one side, trying to distribute it evenly.
With the help of a spatula, flatten the filling and leave at least a half-inch free along the entire edge of the pastry.
Now brush the circumference of the roll with a little water, which will help the pastry stick well once closed.
We’re almost there! Fold the pastry like a ravioli and press well along the entire edge with your fingers so the filling doesn’t leak during cooking.
Brush the surface with a bit of olive oil (those who prefer can use egg yolk) and sprinkle with some dried chives, oregano, or sesame seeds.
Place the puff pastry calzone on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a static mode for about 40 minutes at 350°F. The last 15 minutes in convection mode to dry it out a bit.
Once the calzone is nicely golden, remove it from the oven, let it cool slightly, and then it can finally be enjoyed!
I hope you liked this recipe! Until next time and enjoy your meal!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Why is the calzone wet on the bottom once baked?
This happens if the ricotta you used but also the spinach still contained whey or vegetation liquids that made the pastry too moist. That’s why it’s essential to drain both ingredients well in a sieve, even for a few hours if necessary.
How long does the puff pastry calzone last?
It keeps for a couple of days but will obviously lose its crispness the next day. In that case, we can put it in the oven/air fryer to warm it for about ten minutes to make it crispy again.
What can I use instead of cooked ham?
The cooked ham can be omitted if you prefer a vegetarian filling or replaced with diced mortadella.
Can I replace the ricotta?
You can, but we must completely change the proportions indicated. In this case, the main ingredient is the ricotta used in large quantities (2 cups). If replacing, we can use cheeses like Smoked Provola, Fontina, Mozzarella (better for pizza otherwise it releases liquids) for a total of 7 oz. The main ingredient instead must be either the vegetables (spinach or zucchini, artichokes, broccoli, etc., for a total of 10-12 oz) or cold cuts (cooked ham, mortadella, speck, etc. for a total of 10 oz) or both vegetables (7 oz) + cold cuts (7 oz).
Can I skip adding the egg to the filling?
The egg is added to better bind the mixture and make it more compact; otherwise, it might crumble once sliced. If you prefer, and especially in case of allergies, it can be omitted or replaced only with egg white (2 oz).
