Now that I, in my oh so humble opinion, have completely mastered pizza making, it only made sense to move on up to calzones. Spinach, artichokes, and crushed red pepper? Done and done!
No pre-shredded cheese for this girl, mozzarella di bufala all the way.
I used Jenna @ Eat Live Run’s pizza dough recipe again. This recipe is spot on, no-fail goodness. At some point I’d like to test out a less whole wheat, more authentic Italian recipe, but for now her dough is a staple in my kitchen.
FoodFash Spinach, Artichoke & Red Pepper Calzone
Yield: 3 calzones
1/2 Eat Live Run pizza dough
marinara for dipping
Stuffing:
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup chopped fresh mozzarella
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 artichoke bottoms, chopped
2 handfulls of spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1/4 cup water
Prepare the pizza dough. While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees and mix stuffing ingredients together in a medium bowl until well blended. When dough is ready, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s large enough for three calzones. Cut the dough into three sections. Dollop 1/3 of the stuffing onto one side of each piece of dough. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by beating together 1 egg and 1/4 cup of water. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash, fold the dough over to completely cover the stuffing, and press edges with a fork to seam the calzones. You may have to press twice to make sure that the edges have a strong seam. Place the calzones on a greased and floured pan. Brush the calzones with the egg wash. Using a fork, poke holes in each calzone. Bake for 30 minutes or until calzones are golden brown.
W-O-W! As I removed these beauties from the oven, I had a perma-smile and a total feeling of accomplishment. The egg wash ensured firm and toasty crust. The contrasting brightness of green spinach and red pepper flakes made for a soft-on-the-eyes filling. The red pepper flakes added a uniquely awesome kick. I was 100% pleased and 110% stuffed.
What’s your favorite calzone combination?