Spinach in a Puff Pastry

No, this is not today’s Barefoot Bloggers post but it IS another day of my Week with the Barefoot Contessa! I actually goofed and thought that this week’s BB recipe was the Butterflied Chicken until about Tuesday when I realized the Panzanella is this week. So my Panzanella will be a little late – check back on Sunday for that one as I’m not going to be able to make it until Saturday night.

Anywho, I’ve been looking forward to making this recipe all week. I’m a big fan of spinach and frankly, “How bad could spinach in a puff pastry be?” Puff pastry, with all of it’s buttery, flaky layers of goodness…so bad, yet so good! This one comes from Barefoot in Paris and can be found in the Lunch section and while this could be served as a full meal for lunch (maybe with a little salad on the side), I decided to make it a side dish for dinner. I paired it with grilled boneless pork chops marinated in Italian dressing.

I knew that the puff pastry was going to take a little time to make after work so I got a few things prepped in the morning before leaving (shredded the Gruyère and drained the spinach) and got the pork chops marinating in a plastic Ziploc bag. The rest of the puff pastry came together rather easily and in the future, I might even prep the entire spinach filling in advance so as to shorten the process even further.

As you can see from the pics, this turned out beautifully. Perfectly browned, no leaks, and the pastry puffed up just as it should in spite of the fact that I mistakingly brushed the whole pastry with the egg wash, not just the top like the recipe instructed. As for the flavor itself…just delicious!! Seriously so good. And it’s definitely something that could be served as the main course for lunch…or even cut up into smaller pieces and served as an elegant appetizer. I love how versatile some dishes can be!

Next up for my Week with the Barefoot Contessa will be Blueberry Crumb Cake – you knew I had to get some dessert in this week!!

Spinach in a Puff Pastry

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

4 Tbsp	unsalted butter
2 cups	onions, chopped
1 Tbsp	chopped garlic, (3 cloves)
2 (10-oz) boxes	frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/3 cup	scallions, chopped, white & green parts (2 scallions)
1 cup	Gruyere cheese, grated
3/4 cup	Parmesan cheese, grated
4	eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp	bread crumbs
2 tsp	salt
3/4 tsp	pepper
1/2 tsp	ground nutmeg
1/4 cup	pine nuts, toasted (omitted due to allergies)
2 sheets (1 box)	frozen puff pastry, defrosted in refrigerator overnight
1	egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat butter in saute pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the onion mixture, scallions, Gruyere, Parmesan, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and pine nuts. Mix well.

Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash. Roll out the 2nd sheet of pastry on a floured board until it’s an inch larger in each direction. Place the 2nd sheet of pastry over the spinach and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork. Brush the top with egg wash but don’t let it drip down the sides of the pastry won’t rise. Make three small slits in the pastry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Transfer to a cutting board and serve hot.

This can be assembled a day in advance, refrigerated, and baked before serving.

Thanks to What’s on My Plate for offering her already typed out recipe for me to copy and paste here!