Spinach Calzone
Usually, spinach calzones are bland… but these are anything but boring! The trick is all about seasoning the spinach properly – the rest takes care of itself.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. bakery dough
- 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt and white pepper, to taste (you’ve got to taste this because spinach needs a lot of salt to have flavor)
- 1 tbsp roasted garlic puree (I use the brand Inglehoffer)
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 1/4 lb. american cheese
- 1/4 lb. mild provolone cheese
- Approximately 1/2 lb. large slice pepperoni
- Olive oil for brushing
- Parmesan cheese for topping
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Defrost the spinach in the microwave (high for 10 minutes)
- Strain very well – you really need to squeeze the spinach dry – press it against the side of the strainer
- Saute the spinach in a medium saute pan with the 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic
- Add the olives, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and mix well – lastly, fold in the parmesan and turn off the heat
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 15 in. x 10 in. rectangle (about 1/4″ thick)
- Place a row of provolone slices down the center of the rectangle
- Top the cheese with a wide layer of pepperoni slices (I use three slices in each row)
- Spoon the spinach mixture on top of the pepperoni (I use all of the spinach, but you can use less if you want)
- Top the spinach with another wide layer of pepperoni
- Place a row of american cheese on top of the pepperoni
- Pull one side of dough over the cheese and then overlap that by pulling the other side of dough over – fold up the ends and pinch to seal closed
- Flip the calzone over and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet (I use Pam with Olive Oil) – brush the calzone with olive oil and top off with grated parmesan cheese
- Bake in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown