Flaky Spinach and Ricotta Puff Pastry Pinwheels
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Flaky layers, earthy spinach, cheesy filling? These spinach and ricotta puff pastry pinwheels are the most delicious, crowd-pleasing appetizer for parties and holidays! With just a handful of ingredients, they come together quickly for an easy and elegant hors d’oeuvre. And you can freeze them for later! Seriously, I could eat 100 of these bites.
Lately, it seems that every time I open the fridge, there is a big tub of half-wilted spinach staring back at me. I know I can’t be the only one who buys a box of spinach and then proceeds to neglect it. Like, we all do this right?
If you too have a bag of greens giving you a guilt trip, then buckle up because I have a lovely appetizer situation coming at you! These pinwheels were loosely inspired by a parmesan croissant recipe I used to make when I was in pastry school. But, I filled them with creamy ricotta, salty gruyère, parmesan, and a good dose of spinach because well, I needed to use it up.
Also, we’re skipping the tortillas this time around. Like, I’m not kidding, every single event I went to growing up had some version of those tortilla pinwheels filled with cream cheese. Don’t hate me, but I honestly never liked them lol. But with this version, we’re using puff pastry which turns a basic app into a warm, buttery, flaky one. Amen.
This is by far one of my favorite appetizers to make for parties and holidays. They’re bite-sized, you don’t need utensils, and everyone loves those flaky layers. Have leftover ricotta? Make this whipped ricotta dip or these gorgeous peach and ricotta crostini, pour some wine, and you’re ready to party!
Key ingredient – puff pastry
In pastry school, we made our own puff pastry but I’m not going to do that to you. This is supposed to be an easy party snack after all! So we’ll use frozen puff pastry instead. Sometimes, you can find all-butter versions and if you do, grab it immediately! If not, any frozen puff pastry will work.
You will also need fresh baby spinach, whole milk ricotta, gruyére, parmesan, garlic, chives, red pepper flakes, Morton’s Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and an egg.
Make sure to thaw the puff pastry before making this recipe! You can thaw it at room temp for about 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
Squeeze the ricotta
I tested this recipe at least 4 times and found one step to be very, very important. You need to squeeze all the liquid out of the ricotta before you add it to the filling. Otherwise, the extra liquid will make the pastries soggy which would be sad.
To remove it, spoon the ricotta into a square of cheese cloth or a clean linen. Gather the edges of the cheese cloth so you have a ‘pouch’ of ricotta. Squeeze the ricotta until no more liquid comes out.
No cheese cloth? You can use a fine mesh sieve instead! Spoon the ricotta into the sieve over a bowl. Cover and let the ricotta drain overnight.
How to bake these pinwheels
Roll the puff pastry fairly tightly. If the roll is too loose, the pinwheels could spread apart when they’re baking.
Make ahead & freeze for later
One of the best parts of this recipe is that you can make it in advance! After you slice the pinwheels, place them on a sheet pan and freeze them until they’re solid, at least 2 hours. Pop the frozen pinwheels in a zipper bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
Then, bake them straight out of the freezer! Brush the pinwheels with egg wash and bake them until they’re golden-brown. You might just need to add 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.
Store & reheat
To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. They might lost a bit of their crispiness in the fridge so if they do, reheat them at 350°F (177°C) for about 5-6 minutes.
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Easy Spinach and Ricotta Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 500 grams whole milk ricotta cheese (2 cups)
- 280 grams baby spinach, roughly chopped (10 ounces)
- 105 grams shredded gruyère cheese (1 1/2 cups, loosely packed)
- 35 grams shredded Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup, loosely packed)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 12 grams chopped fresh chives (2 Tablespoons)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 520 grams puff pastry, preferably all-butter, thawed (2 sheets)
- 1 egg
Equipment
- 1-2 sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Cheese cloth
- Rolling Pin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spoon the ricotta cheese into the middle of a square of cheese cloth or a thin, clean kitchen towel. Gather the corners of the cheese cloth/towel to create a pouch. Squeeze the ricotta to remove as much extra liquid as possible.
- Place the drained ricotta into a medium bowl. Add the spinach, gruyère, parmesan, garlic, chives, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth.
- Next, roll one sheet of puff pastry into a 10×12-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling over the puff pastry sheet all the way to the edges. Starting with the long end towards you, tightly roll the puff pastry into a long log. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and filling.
- Freeze the pinwheel logs for 15-20 minutes or refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Once the logs are chilled, use a sharp knife to cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices. Line 6-8 pinwheels on the prepared sheet pan 2-3 inches apart. Refrigerate the remaining pinwheels for later.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the pinwheels with the egg wash.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes until the pinwheels are flaky and golden-brown. Repeat with the remaining pinwheels and serve them warm. Enjoy!
