Spinach empanadas
Local name : Empanadas de espinaca
Golden Argentine baked pastries filled with silky spinach, sweet onion and ricotta, finished with a grating of nutmeg.
Photo : stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Wilt the spinach in a large pan with a splash of water for 3 minutes, then cool it and squeeze it hard between your hands. Chop roughly.
- In the same pan, soften the onions in the olive oil over low heat for 10 minutes, until golden and sweet.
- Off the heat, mix the onions, spinach, ricotta, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt and plenty of pepper. Leave to cool completely.
- Spoon a generous mound of filling into the centre of each disc, leaving a 1.5 cm border clear.
- Dampen the rim, fold into a half-moon and pinch to seal, then twist the edge into small overlapping folds to make the repulgue.
- Line the empanadas up on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden.
- Let them settle for 5 minutes before serving; the filling comes out scalding.
A cold filling is the whole trick: warm, it soaks the pastry and makes the parcels burst in the oven. Make it the day before and it will only taste better.
