A cute twist on traditional cheese and spinach pockets! The beauty of these Ricotta and Spinach Puff Pastry Bites is that you get so much more out of just one sheet of puff pastry because there’s a higher filling to pastry ratio!
I am addicted to cheese and spinach triangles. For Friday nights in, I’ve been known to head to the supermarket to pick up microwave popcorn and frozen cheese and spinach triangles. Choose a chick flick, open a bottle of wine, and I’m good to go.
Ahhh. My idea of a perfect Friday night. Never in a million years would I have written that 10 years ago.
I really want to say that since I’ve started blogging, I’ve never bought microwave popcorn or frozen triangles. But that would be a blatant lie. There are just some days when I can’t muster up the enthusiasm to cook. Sometimes I wonder how it is that I can cook all day and yet have nothing to eat that night. Well actually, I do. I give away a lot of food. And sometimes I give away what I should be having for dinner myself!
So yes, I eat take out – very rarely, because I grew up believing take out is bad and I can’t shake that. More likely is that I pick up frozen savoury pastries or samosas, or something like that. I have it in my irrational mind that because I have to bake them, they are half home-made. 🙂
Weird that I’m admitting to you that I love frozen triangles when I’m sharing a recipe for puffs! So blowing right past that awkward realisation…..
I like these because they are shaped differently to the usual cheese and spinach triangles you commonly see. And not only that, you get more out of one sheet of pastry because there’s a higher “filling to pastry” ratio. You get 9 of these puffs out of each sheet of puff pastry, whereas I get 4 if I make triangles for around the same amount of filling.
I wasn’t going to share these, I thought they were too boring. But when I gave a stash of them to a friend recently, she instantly wanted to know how I made them into that shape. So here’s the recipe. 🙂
– Nagi
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Ricotta and Spinach Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 egg
- 7 oz / 200g ricotta (preferably full fat but low fat also works) (Note 1)
- 8 oz / 250g frozen chopped spinach , thawed and squeezed of excess water
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (or tasty or gruyere or any other melting cheese with flavour)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Pastry
- 2 sheets puff pastry (25cm/10" square), defrosted
- 1 egg , lightly beaten (egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spray 2 standard muffin / cupcake tins with oil.
Filling
- Place egg in a bowl and lightly whisk. Add remaining Filling ingredients and mix to combine. Taste and adjust salt to taste.
Pastry
- Cut each pastry into 9 equal pieces (18 in total). You probably won't use 3 pieces.
- Mould 15 pieces of pastry into the muffin tins.
- Divide the Filling between each, then bring the four corners into the centre and press down to stick together. Don't overfill otherwise you won't be able to seal the pastries or they will burst open when baking (which regularly happens with mine).
- Brush with egg wash, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing.
- Serve warm or cool.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Hi Nagi,
Am trying to get ahead of the Xmas rush – was wondering if these can be frozen and at what stage.
Thanks
Yes, freeze after cooking, then cool. A few minutes in a hot oven when you need them and they are perfect!
Hey Nagi,
Can Gozleme pastry by used instead of puff?
Hi Marie, I’m not sure it would bake as good as puff pastry and will be a little too dense. N x
Hi Nagi! Are these ok to freeze after baking? Or freeze before baking?
This is my question too. Anyone?
hi, great receipe. Can I leave out the egg in the filling? Do I need to substitute it with a else?
I love your idea of shaping these differently, got so many more than if I had made pastry pockets and they were so quick too! Popped them into the kids lunchboxes and they loved them. Thanks, Nagi!
This is a great base recipe that you can add all sorts of extra things to. I had way too much fresh spinach and kale. I cooked it up the night before with some spring onions and then made these up the next day. I added some powdered vegetable stock instead of salt which really brought out. These went to a family get together and disappeared very quickly 🙂 I still had some spinach mix left over today so bulked it up with some cooked mushroom, spring onion and bacon and we had them for lunch. Thank you for such a versatile recipe.
Just made this! So delicious. The supermarket didn’t have any puff pasty (lockdown is doing bad things), so I used filo instead, with feta. Now just to make sure my housemates don’t nick them from the fridge!
Great recipe! Very quick & easy to make and it was super delicious.
I’m so glad you loved it Michelle! N x
Cooked this last night for a New Years Eve Party.
Everyone was shocked that I actually made this and didn’t buy them from a shop.
Everyone agreed they were delicious and all 19 were gone in minutes.
Sounds like you nailed it Roey!!
So good! My filling was spinach, mushrooms, Asiago cheese, and Everything Bagel seasoning.
Really cute little bites! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re so welcome Emma!
So delicious! We added some French Onion Soup instead of salt and pepper as we didn’t have it on hand (with school kids). Love your recipes Nagi!
Sounds great Suzy!
I made these for a potluck with feta cheese and fresh spinach and they were a big hit 🙂 They came out so delicious, I could have these every day. Thanks Nagi!!!
WOOT That’s great Nala!
Loved this recipe, thank you! Made twice now, once with fresh spinach, and once with frozen. I sauteed with spring onions and garlic, and added a touch of nutmeg. Sooo good!
Sounds perfect Ericka!
just made these and terrific. i had a container of ricotta that i had to use and this came up; i did add some sauteed onions and garlic and forgot to brush with butter but turned out superb.
did them in 2″ mini muffin pans so they are one bite wonders. thanks so much
.
Just made these with my kindergarten class with spinach from our garden! They loved them!
Sounds perfect Gail!
Very yummy!!
I love all Nagi’s recipes!!
I added onion & used fetta instead of riccotta but they are just so quick & easy because of the pressing of the pastry method!!
Love loveXXXX
I’m so glad they turned out for you Janet! ❤️
May I know what brand of puff pastry you used? It looks so beautifully puffed and crunchy! I’m in Sydney too by the way. 😊
Pampas or Borgs is great!
Thanks Nagi for sharing this recipe! These were so simple to make and absolutely delicious. I brought these to a gathering and they were a hit!
Awesome, Amanda!!! — Nxx
Hi I was just wondering that if i make the the filling a day in advance, would I have to put it in the fridge or could I just leave it out in a container?
Since the filling contains egg and cheese, I would put it in the fridge.
Love this idea. Thank you! Only question is you stated to use 15 of the pastry cuts? My muffin tin has 12? Also do I just use 1 pastry cut out to mould into the muffin tray?
Mine only has 12 as well, but you could make just 12 extra stuffed ones if that’s easier!