Some recipes are just endlessly adaptable. If I have CSA ingredients I’m not sure how to use, I know I can almost always throw them into a soup, a frittata, a pizza or a calzone. This spinach calzone was one of those endless variations, made this time around at the request of my husband.
I kept the filling extra simple this time around. Though I like my pizzas covered with ingredients, I prefer to keep my calzones filled with fairly few additions. These spinach calzones are just that; spinach stirred into ricotta and mozzarella cheese and flavored with a bit of salt and pepper.
Often, I make one big single calzone at a time, but this time around I opted to make 4 single-serve calzones. This method takes a little more time to prepare, but looks nicer when served and makes leftovers easier to handle, since there isn’t cheese gushing everywhere.
Lastly, I highly recommend serving these with some warm tomato sauce for dipping. The warm sauce is one of my very favorite parts of eating calzones.
Single-Serving Spinach Calzones
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast a 1/4 ounce packet
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons oil
For the filling:
- 15 ounces ricotta
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces fresh spinach roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Tomato sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have one, place a pizza stone in the oven.
Make the dough
- Combine the yeast and sugar in the warm water in a bowl. Add the warm water. Stir to dissolve and let stand for 10 minutes. (This 10 minutes is a good time to put together the filling.)
- When the 10 minutes have elapsed, insert the blade attachment into your food processor. Combine the flour and salt to the bowl of the processor.
- With the food processor running, pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube and process for about 45 seconds, until the dough begins to gather into small balls.
- Add the oil through the feed tube and process for about 60 more seconds. If the dough isn't forming a ball, add a tablespoon or two or water and continue to process.
- Remove the ball of dough from the food processor bowl. For single serve calzones, divide the dough into four equal parts.
Make the filling
- In a medium size bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and chopped spinach. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Make the calzones
- Roll out each of the dough pieces on a floured surface into a rough circle.
- Scoop a quarter of the filling onto one side of the dough circle.
- Fold over the top of the circle to close the calzone. Seal the calzone closed, using a bit of water if necessary.
- Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough and remaining filling.
- Transfer the calzones to the baking stone or a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve with warmed tomato sauce.
That’s so easy…