Tasty Spinach Cheese Pockets

This spinach and ricotta calzone turns basic ingredients into a mouthwatering Italian treat that's better than takeout. The mix of smooth cheeses with flavorful spinach tucked inside a crispy, golden crust makes an awesome handheld dinner that'll wow everyone at your table.

I started making these calzones while trying to copy my grandpa's special recipe from his New York pizzeria. What began as a way to bring back childhood memories has turned into our end-of-week ritual, with my kids now asking for their "folded pizzas" every Friday.

Ingredients

• Frozen chopped spinach: Makes up the healthy base of your filling. Make sure you squeeze out all the water or you'll end up with soggy pockets.
• Ricotta cheese: Gives that smooth, creamy texture everyone loves. Grab whole milk ricotta for the best taste.
• Mozzarella cheese: Makes those wonderful stretchy cheese pulls when you take a bite. Either fresh or bagged works great.
• Parmesan cheese: Brings a nice salty kick to the mix. Try to grate it fresh for best flavor.
• Olive oil: Pulls the filling together and adds a touch of richness.
• Egg wash: Gets you that beautiful brown outer crust and helps keep everything sealed up tight.
• Garlic powder: Adds that yummy savory flavor without chunks of garlic getting in the way.
• Fresh oregano: Adds bright herb flavor that really pops. Worth getting the fresh stuff instead of dried.
• Red pepper flakes: Gives just a tiny kick of heat that works great with the creamy filling.
• Salt: Brings out all the other flavors and makes everything taste better.
• Pizza dough: The wrapper that holds everything together. Store bought works fine, but homemade takes these up a notch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Crank Up Your Oven:

Set your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This super hot temp helps make the outside crispy while keeping the inside soft and tender. Put your rack in the middle so heat hits your calzones evenly from all sides.

Mix Your Filling:

In a big bowl, throw together your well-drained spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, olive oil, egg yolk, garlic powder, fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until everything's mixed up nicely. You want it thick and sticky without extra water. Give it a taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Get Your Dough Ready:

Put your pizza dough on a floured counter and cut it into four equal chunks. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands. Let them sit for about 5 minutes so they're easier to work with later. This helps the dough relax so it won't shrink back when you roll it.

Make Your Circles:

On pieces of parchment paper, flatten each dough ball into a 7 inch circle using a rolling pin or just your hands. Try to get them all the same thickness. You want them thin enough to fold but thick enough they won't tear when filled.

Load Them Up:

Spread a quarter of your spinach cheese mix on half of each circle, leaving a 1 inch empty space around the edge. This clean border helps you seal them up properly. Don't stuff them too full or they'll leak when baking.

Close Them Up:

Brush some egg wash on the empty border, then fold the bare half over your filling to make a half-moon shape. Leave about half an inch of the bottom edge showing. Push the edges together firmly, then pinch and fold them to make sure nothing leaks out during baking.

Cut Some Holes:

Using a sharp knife, make five little cuts in the top of each calzone. These let steam escape while baking so your calzones don't get soggy inside or burst open. Brush egg wash all over the top to make them shiny and golden when cooked.

Bake Till Golden:

Slide your calzones with their parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Cook for 8 minutes until they start turning golden, then pull them out to brush with more egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Put them back in for another 7 minutes until they're nice and brown all over.

Let Them Rest:

Move your finished calzones to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. This cooling time lets the filling set up a bit so it's not burning hot when you bite into it.

Pin it

My special trick with these calzones is finding real Italian ricotta whenever I can. My grandma always told me that good cheese is what makes Italian food special, and these calzones really show that off. I still picture her at the counter, carefully folding and pinching each edge, whenever I whip up a batch.

Storage and Reheating

You can keep leftover calzones in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. When you want to eat them again, warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until they're hot all the way through. The oven keeps them crispy, while microwaving just makes them all floppy and wet.

Customization Ideas

You can switch up these calzones a million different ways depending on what you like or what's in your kitchen. Try adding some cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni if you want meat. Sun dried tomatoes and artichokes make them taste like a fancy Mediterranean dish. For morning calzones, fill them with scrambled eggs, cheese and spinach with a dash of hot sauce.

Pro Tips

No matter what fillings you pick, the basic steps stay the same. Just make sure any meat is fully cooked before you put it in, and squeeze all the liquid out of your veggies so your calzones don't turn into a soggy mess.

Pin it

These spinach and ricotta calzones will soon become a family staple thanks to how simple, flexible, and downright tasty they are. Make some this week and start your own delicious tradition!

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I prepare these pockets earlier?

You bet! You can put them together and keep them in the fridge for up to a day before baking. You can even stick them in the freezer after assembly. When cooking from frozen, just add around 5-7 more minutes to your baking time. For the best look, brush on the egg right before they go in the oven.

→ What goes well with spinach cheese pockets?

These pockets taste great with a basic green salad, some marinara for dipping, cooked veggies, or a plate of cold cuts. To make it a real Italian dinner, start with a light bowl of veggie soup before serving the main dish.

→ Can I use fresh instead of frozen spinach?

Sure thing! You'll want about 1 pound of fresh spinach to match 10 ounces of frozen. Just cook the fresh leaves until soft, let them cool down, and squeeze out all the water before mixing them into your filling.

→ How do I know when my pockets are done?

They're ready when the outside turns gold brown and feels solid when you touch it. If you've got a food thermometer, the inside should hit about 200°F. You'll also see cheese and filling bubbling out of the little cuts on top when they're fully cooked.

→ Can I throw in extra stuff with the filling?

For sure! Try adding cooked mushrooms, sweet browned onions, roasted peppers, olives, or even some cooked Italian sausage. Just make sure whatever you add isn't too wet, or your dough might get soggy.

→ What if I'm out of fresh oregano?

You can swap in dried oregano instead. Use about 1/2 teaspoon of the dried stuff to replace the 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh. You could also try an Italian spice mix or fresh basil leaves instead.