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Spinach Vol-au-vent

17/11/2023

Spinach vol-au-vents are an elegant and sophisticated dish, perfect for an appetizer or aperitif. Here is the recipe with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

  • 4 ready-made puff pastry vol-au-vents (or you can make them yourself with ready-made puff pastry and a round pastry cutter)
  • 250 g of fresh spinach
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated nutmeg (optional)
  • 100 g of ricotta cheese
  • 30 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg (for brushing, optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. If using ready-made puff pastry, roll it out and cut out circles with the pastry cutter, then lightly score the inside of each circle with a smaller cutter. Bake the vol-au-vents in the oven until they are golden and puffy, about 15-20 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, wash the spinach thoroughly and place it in a pan with a drizzle of oil and the peeled garlic clove. Cover and let the spinach wilt over medium heat, then remove the garlic and squeeze out the excess water.
  4. Coarsely chop the spinach and mix it in a bowl with the ricotta and Parmesan. Season with salt, pepper, and a grating of nutmeg.
  5. Once the vol-au-vents are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly.
  6. Fill each vol-au-vent with the spinach and ricotta mixture, and then you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes to heat through or serve as they are.
  7. (Optional) For extra browning, you can brush the edges of the vol-au-vents with a beaten egg before putting them back in the oven for a final bake.
  8. Serve immediately.

Curiosity

The term “vol-au-vent” means “fly with the wind,” highlighting the lightness of the puff pastry which, if well prepared, is so light it seems it could fly away with a breeze. The spinach version is a green adaptation of the classic recipe and recalls the flavors of traditional Italian cuisine.