Mediterranean Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Flaky, golden puff pastry rolled with spinach, feta, roasted red peppers and Mediterranean herbs. These savoury pinwheels are easy to prepare ahead and make a delicious appetizer for parties, holidays or casual entertaining.
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
18–22 min
Serves
Ingredients
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- 1 sheetfrozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 2 cupsfresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1garlic clove, finely minced
- ½ cuproasted red peppers, well drained, patted dry and finely chopped
- ¾ cupcrumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cupfinely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tspdried oregano
- ½ tspdried basil
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- ¼ cupKalamata olives, well drained and finely chopped, optional
- 1 largeegg
- 1 tspwater
- Sesame seeds, optional
Ingredients
- 1 sheetfrozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 2 cupsfresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1garlic clove, finely minced
- ½ cuproasted red peppers, well drained, patted dry and finely chopped
- ¾ cupcrumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cupfinely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tspdried oregano
- ½ tspdried basil
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- ¼ cupKalamata olives, well drained and finely chopped, optional
- 1 largeegg
- 1 tspwater
- Sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until the spinach has wilted.
- 2
Transfer the spinach to a plate and allow it to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible, then finely chop.
- 3
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, roasted red peppers, feta, Parmesan, oregano, basil, black pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir in the Kalamata olives if you'd like to include them.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash. Set aside.
- 5
Unfold the cold puff pastry onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll it just enough to smooth the seams and create an even rectangle. Avoid rolling it too thin.
- 6
Scatter the filling evenly over the pastry in a relatively thin layer, leaving approximately a ½-inch border along one long edge. You may not need every bit of the filling — don't overfill the pastry.
- 7
Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the pastry snugly but gently into a log. Lightly brush the exposed ½-inch edge with a little egg wash, then finish rolling and gently pinch the seam closed.
- 8
Place the log seam-side down, wrap or cover it and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. Chilling firms the pastry and filling and makes the pinwheels much easier to slice without squashing the spiral.
- 9
While the pastry chills, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 10
Using a sharp knife, cut the chilled pastry log into approximately ½-inch-thick slices. Use a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down so the pinwheels keep their shape.
- 11
Arrange the pinwheels cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1½–2 inches between them to allow the puff pastry room to expand.
- 12
Lightly brush the exposed pastry with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
- 13
Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, crisp and deep golden brown. If your oven browns unevenly, rotate the baking sheet once during baking.
- 14
Let the pinwheels cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Melissa's Notes
Keeping the filling as dry as possible is the key to crisp, flaky puff pastry. Squeeze the cooked spinach very well and thoroughly drain and pat dry the roasted red peppers. If using Kalamata olives, drain those well too.
Resist the temptation to pile on too much filling. A relatively thin, even layer will give you a nicer spiral and help prevent the filling from squeezing out when you roll and slice the pastry.
Nutrition Information
Per pinwheel
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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