Spinach and Cheese Rolls Recipe

These golden, flaky puff pastry rolls are packed full of spinach and cheese. They can be served as a meal with salad or vegetables, or on their own as a snack or finger food.

For accuracy, we use digital scales to weigh ingredients. Volume measurements are given in Australian Standard cups (250ml) and spoons (20ml tablespoon, 5ml teaspoon). We use eggs that weigh at least 60 grams (including shell).

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Baking time: about 30 minutes

Makes 18 snack-sized rolls

250g frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 sheets frozen puff pastry (we use sheets that measure about 25cm by 25cm)
2 large eggs
300g firm ricotta (from deli)
110g (1 cup, firmly packed) grated parmesan cheese
125g (1 1/4 cups, firmly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese
80g (2/3 cup) finely chopped spring onions
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
11g (1 tablespoon) sesame seeds, optional

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Line two large baking trays with baking paper.

Place spinach in a colander and use your hands to squeeze the spinach to remove excess moisture. You should be left with about 170g (1 cup) spinach. Discard liquid.

Remove pastry from freezer. If the weather is hot, you might want to thaw the pastry in the fridge so it doesn’t become too soft and difficult to work with.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat with a fork or small whisk until the yolks and whites are well combined. Remove one tablespoon of the beaten egg and set aside to use later to brush the rolls.

Place spinach, ricotta, parmesan, cheddar cheese, spring onions, garlic, egg (except the tablespoon reserved for brushing), pepper, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Stir together until well combined.

Cut the three pastry sheets in half to make six rectangles. Divide the filling evenly among the pastry rectangles. Form the filling into log shapes along one long side of each pastry rectangle. Brush the opposite long edge of each rectangle with some of the reserved egg.

Roll up to enclose the filling. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut each log into three equal pieces (or a size of your choice). Place the rolls on the trays seam side down so the rolls don’t open at the seams as they cook. Leave space around each roll to allow even browning. Brush the pastry with remaining reserved egg.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.

Bake for about 20 minutes then swap and rotate the trays in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until puffed and golden. This helps to brown the pastry evenly. Serve hot.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Suitable to freeze cooked or uncooked. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au