Spinach Feta Pinwheels

Flaky, buttery puff pastry is rolled around spinach, feta & mozzarella to create these outrageously delicious Spinach Feta Pinwheels!

I hosted my book club earlier this month. Our book selection was Exit West, a fictional account of a couple escaping the war-torn Middle East through magical doors. Through these “doors” they were transported to three different countries to the west, one being Greece. This spanakopita appetizer is a riff on Greek spanakopita, and absolutely scrumptious!

Spinach Feta Pinwheels

Instead of making a traditional spanakopita, I incorporated some of the Greek spinach pie ingredients into this spanakopita appetizer. With spanakopita or homemade baklava, there’s fussy phyllo dough to fiddle with! Using puff pastry makes quick work of a yummy spinach puff pastry appetizer!

Brushing the puff pastry with an egg wash before rolling helped keep the spirals from unfurling, though a little reshaping was necessary before and immediately after their time in the oven.

Tips for Working with Puff Pastry:

Even though the traditional phyllo dough, which is used for spanakopita, is more finicky, you still need to understand how to work with puff pastry to get the best results when making these spinach pinwheels and more.

• For the best tasting spinach feta pinwheels, look for an all-butter puff pastry brand. I use Dufour, but note that it will be much more expensive.
• To prevent your pinwheels from unraveling while baking, make sure about 1/2-inch of one short end of your puff pastry is free of filling. Double-check that it’s brushed with egg wash, then roll up from the opposite end, so that the filling-free edge adheres to the rolled cylinder.

• The pastry can warm up while you’re working with it. It bakes up best when chilled so I always pop it in the freezer while the oven heats up. If you have the time, you can cover the sheet pan with the pinwheels with plastic wrap and park them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
• PRO TIP: Puff pastry puffs up best when baked cold, but it also needs to be baked at a high temperature. I like to rechill the pinwheels in the fridge before baking, then bake at 400° as directed.

What’s the Difference Between Phyllo, Fillo, Filo and Puff Pastry?

Phyllo, Fillo, and Filo are just variations in the  spelling of tissue thin sheets of dough. The word means “leaf” in Greek as the sheets are as thin as a leaf. They’re also quite delicate and become brittle if left exposed to the air. For that reason, a damp towel is placed over filo when it’s out to be used in a recipe.

Puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée in French, is a laminated dough, formed when chilled layers of butter are formed between layers of dough by folding, chilling and refolding. Due to those layers of butter, the dough “puffs” when baked.

Both filo and puff pastry can be found in the frozen section of many grocery stores. They are generally not interchangeable in recipes.

More Appetizer Recipes Using Puff Pastry:

• Muenster and Spinach Pinwheels
• Cranberry Brie en Croute
• Pepperoni Pinwheels
• Puff Pastry Bacon Twists from A Family Feast
• More Appetizer Recipes

More Greek Recipes for Your Menu:

• Greek Lamb Skewers
• Mediterranean Grilled Cheese
• Mediterranean Endive Boats
• Greek Salad with Feta
• Greek Farro Salad
• Greek Lemon Bundt Cake

Add to Your Shopping List:

• Staples: Eggs, Garlic Salt, Nutmeg
• Frozen chopped spinach
• Feta, in a block
• Mozzarella, grated
• Green Onions
• Frozen puff pastry, with butter in the ingredients preferred

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Spinach Feta Pinwheels

A twist on the classic Greek spanakopita using puff pastry!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield 16 pinwheels

Ingredients

• 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta (buy a block and crumble it yourself
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• A few grates of fresh nutmeg
• 1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted

Instructions

1. Whisk together the egg and water, set aside.
2. Mix together the cheeses, onion and seasonings. Set aside.
3. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to flatten the seams. Brushthe surface with your egg wash.
4. Top the surface with the cheese mixture, then break apart the spinach and spread evenly over the surface. ***Leave about an inch free of toppings on one of the short sides.***
5. Starting on the short side that's covered with filling, roll up the pastry like a jellyroll.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice the roll into ½-3/4 inch slices and place them on the prepared sheets. Pop into the refrigerator or freezer to let them cool as the oven preheats to 400 degrees.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until they're golden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 pinwheel
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

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