Spinach Appetizer
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This is a terrific spinach appetizer made with a soft, flavorful spinach and ricotta filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry. It’s the quintessential party finger food for your holidays and gatherings.
Everyone loves crisp and delicious mini-bites!
With all the holiday gatherings just around the corner, it’s time to say hello to this irresistible spinach appetizer with puff pastry made with simple ingredients and baked to crispy perfection.
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Think of a savoury mixture of spinach and creamy ricotta wrapped in flakey puff pastry, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked until golden, warm, and buttery.
Yes, I promise you’ll love these little spinach rolls!
My mum used to make this finger food recipe about 30 years ago. It’s somehow old-fashioned, but it’s so good and inviting that it was always one of the first canapes to disappear off the table!
Today, after so many years, this recipe is still a hit when I want to make an appetizer with spinach, and I love that I can make it in advance and then bake the little bites just before serving.
It’s a crowd-pleaser, delicious, kid-friendly, and perfect for your next potluck, dinner party, or school lunch box!
Pair this crisp spinach appetizer with mini pizzas, pea hummus, or spicy olives, and watch your guests devour. Let’s get baking!
List of the ingredients
- Puff pastry
- Fresh or frozen spinach
- Ricotta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
- Breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Seeds (optional)
How to make spinach appetizer
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Add the spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese, grated garlic, breadcrumbs, and seasoning to a bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Unroll the pastry sheet (no need to use a rolling pin!).
- Cut it lengthwise into 2 rectangles.
- Place the filling on each sheet, roll up, and make two long logs.
- Wrap them tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- To harden the pastry and make the cut easier, place them in the freezer for about 1 hour.
- Next, cut each log diagonally into pieces (1.3″/3cm thick).
- Brush with the beaten egg and top them with seeds.
- Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until crisp and golden.
Recipe Notes
Puff pastry: I recommend buying a 9×13-inch sheet of puff pastry frozen or sold in the fridge aisle.
Spinach: This appetizer recipe can be made with fresh or frozen spinach. I used 9oz/260 grams of frozen spinach, which, once thawed and drained, makes ¾ cups (5oz/150 grams) as per the recipe.
Ricotta: I recommend buying standard ricotta sealed in containers found in the fridge aisle in many supermarkets. This ricotta is cheaper and works better than fresh, creamy ricotta you might buy from an Italian deli (which is delicious but too watery for this recipe). Feta and goat cheese can be nice substitutions, but adjust the seasoning accordingly, as feta can be pretty salty.
Parmesan cheese: It adds plenty of savoury, nutty flavour, but you can use grated cheddar or pecorino instead of parmesan to make a 100% vegetarian appetizer. Again, adjust the seasoning accordingly if you modify the recipe.
Breadcrumbs: A small handful of breadcrumbs makes the filling more compact and easy to work with. They also absorb moisture.
Salt & pepper: You can easily adjust the seasoning to your taste while mixing the filling ingredients.
Egg + seeds: To add shine and texture. You can use sesame seeds, chia or poppy seeds. We also love everything but bagel seasoning from TJ’s. : )
Storage tips & leftovers
This crispy spinach appetizer is best served warm and freshly baked or within a few hours after baking, as the puff pastry is still crisp and flaky. It keeps well in the fridge for 3 days, stored in an airtight container or freezer for up to 1 month.
Make ahead
This spinach appetizer can be made ahead of time and frozen once baked or raw.
- Option 1. Bake the spinach appetizer and freeze it when it’s completely cool. Then, reheat from frozen in a preheated oven (not microwave) until crisp again, for 10-15 minutes.
- Option 2. If you use puff pastry that has not been frozen and cook your spinach, you can freeze the spinach appetizer logs before baking and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes before serving.
Note: Although technically possible, I prefer not to refreeze thawed pastry that has not been cooked. That affects the quality and texture.
More appetizers you’ll love!
I’m sure you’ll love these party food ideas or these colourful appetizer recipes to create Italian-style get-togethers for the upcoming holiday season:
- You might like these super quick caprese skewers, sun dried tomato paste, chickpeas bruschetta, or marinated mozzarella.
- If you’re a keen baker, try my italian focaccia, tomato focaccia, focaccia with olives or crispy breadsticks. Also a delicious gorgonzola pizza, artichoke pizza or caprese pizza, they’re great for sharing!
If you make this delicious spinach appetizer or have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Spinach Appetizer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (5oz/150 grams) fresh or frozen spinach (weighed after cooking or thawing and drained well)*
- ½ cup (5oz/150 grams) Ricotta, drained (if it's too watery)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (9×13-inch) sheet puff pastry, fresh or frozen and thawed in the refrigerator
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds
Instructions
- To start, thaw about 9oz/260 grams of frozen spinach or blanch 14oz of fresh spinach for 1 minute. Next, once the spinach is thawed or cooked, drain it in a colander, let it cool, and squeeze out excess liquid. Measure out ¾ cups or 150 grams, roughly chop it, then use per recipe.
- Add the spinach, ricotta (I use a heaped 1/2 cup), parmesan cheese, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Taste and make sure you're happy with the seasoning. You might want to add more salt, garlic, or even parmesan, according to your taste.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet on parchment paper or on a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half lengthwise to get two rectangles—there is no need to use a rolling pin.
- Divide the spinach filling between the two rectangles and roll up each rectangle tightly to make two long logs filled with spinach mixture. Wrap them with plastic wrap or parchment paper and freeze for about 1 hour to harden the pastry and make the cut easier and clean.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bring the puff pastry to room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Cut each puff pastry and spinach log diagonally into 1.3-inch/3cm slices, place them on the baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with seeds.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp. Serve this spinach appetizer while it's still warm and crisp. Enjoy!
