I love empanadas! any filling is perfect for me, but you know how delicious is the combination of spinach and ricotta. You can use any othe cheese you like, but a soft cheese such as goat or cottage cheese match perfect for empanadas. I specially love the pastry I used, this pastry is a recipe from Lorraine Pascale, and you can make it use for any variation of empanadas, and the most important are baked in the oven, so no fried! better right?
They are perfect for a starter or a snack, I used some greek yogur with harisha for the dipping, it makes this little snack even better.
They are perfect for a starter or a snack, I used some greek yogur with harisha for the dipping, it makes this little snack even better.
Spinach and Ricotta Empanadas
Pastry:
180g plain flour
60g cornmeal flour
115g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
2 egg large
Mix the flours, the butter and the salt in a bowl using your fingers. You can also use a food processor but you can easly do it by hand. Beat the eggs n a separate bowl and fold them in the mixture and knead it well. Shape the sough into a ball and wrap it with film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
For the filling:
400 g spinach
4 shallots onions
1 garlic clove
60 g roasted pine nuts
100 g ricotta
zest of a lemon
fesh nutmeg
salt and pepper
Cook the spinach in a pan with some oil, add some salt an pepper and cook until they are wilted. Squeeze them and chop them with a knife or in a food processor. Set aside.
Chop de onions and the garlic and fry them with some oil on a low heat. Once is cooked mix in the spinach, the lemon zest and let it cool down for a while. Mix in the the ricotta, some more salt and pepper, nutmeg and the roasted pine nuts. Put it in the fridge while you prepare the dough.
Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut squares, about 8 cm.
Prepare the baking tray with baking paper and grease is with some oil or spray.
Put a spoon of the filling in the middle and moist the sides of the squares with some water, fold them into triangle and press slightly the sides. Place the empanadas on the tray and bake them 15-20 minutes until they get golden brown.
Serve them wram with some dipping sauce.
Pastry:
180g plain flour
60g cornmeal flour
115g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
2 egg large
Mix the flours, the butter and the salt in a bowl using your fingers. You can also use a food processor but you can easly do it by hand. Beat the eggs n a separate bowl and fold them in the mixture and knead it well. Shape the sough into a ball and wrap it with film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
For the filling:
400 g spinach
4 shallots onions
1 garlic clove
60 g roasted pine nuts
100 g ricotta
zest of a lemon
fesh nutmeg
salt and pepper
Cook the spinach in a pan with some oil, add some salt an pepper and cook until they are wilted. Squeeze them and chop them with a knife or in a food processor. Set aside.
Chop de onions and the garlic and fry them with some oil on a low heat. Once is cooked mix in the spinach, the lemon zest and let it cool down for a while. Mix in the the ricotta, some more salt and pepper, nutmeg and the roasted pine nuts. Put it in the fridge while you prepare the dough.
Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut squares, about 8 cm.
Prepare the baking tray with baking paper and grease is with some oil or spray.
Put a spoon of the filling in the middle and moist the sides of the squares with some water, fold them into triangle and press slightly the sides. Place the empanadas on the tray and bake them 15-20 minutes until they get golden brown.
Serve them wram with some dipping sauce.
