Hands up if you love crisp golden pastry? These spinach, ricotta and corn parcels are just delicious, perfect for a cold autumn or winter’s night. You can use either puff or filo pastry. Filo is probably healthier with less fat-from vegetable blends used in making commercial puff pastry- however some times it is good to just choose what you feel like and prefer and tonight it was puff pastry over filo.
You could experiment with adding different vegetables, herbs and spices. If you are looking to reduce your meals with meat as the feature this one ticks that box, with the ricotta cheese, eggs, tasty cheese and ham providing the protein. If you wanted to go meat free you could leave out the ham. As the ham is salty and so is cheese I don’t add in extra salt into the mix.
Serves between 6-8
3 or 4 sheets of puff pastry or 1 packet filo pastry
750 grams ricotta cheese
100g finely sliced ham
1 spring onion, finely chopped
250gm frozen spinach
2 eggs
1/2 cup tasty cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ to ¾ cup corn kernals (frozen or canned
1tbs finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (if desired)
1 small finely chopped red chilli
½ teaspoon of sweet or smoked paprika
Cracked black pepper to taste
Sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling on pastry
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
Take out the puff pastry and let defrost
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and when warm add in the spring onion and ham. Fry until golden brown. Let cool a little.
In a bowl combine all the other ingredients, except the seeds.
Mix until well combined. Add in the ham and spring onion mixture and mix through.
Line two oven baking trays with baking paper.
Lay a sheet of puff pastry on the tray and fill the middle with the ricotta mixture, leaving room at all around to fold over into a parcel.
Brush the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the mixture making a rectangle parcel.
Brush the top with water and sprinkle over the seeds.
Repeat with the remaining pastry and mixture until you have 4 long parcels.
If you prefer you can cut the pastry sheets in half and make 8 individual parcels.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut in half and serve with fresh vegetables or salad.
Cooking some crunchy bite sized potatoes or pumpkin in the oven at the same time goes well.
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