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Spinach Pesto Pinwheels are puffed pastry rolled around a fantastic spinach pesto filling. Assemble into the shape of a Christmas tree for the holidays!
Here’s a fun and very delicious appetizer idea for holidays…Spinach Pesto Pinwheels!
Ever since we made this recipe, we’ve been dreaming up new flavor combinations that work as a filling for crispy baked pinwheels. We landed on this cheesy spinach and walnut pesto filling with little bits of roasted red pepper throughout.
We had the idea of assembling our Spinach Pesto Pinwheels in the shape of a Christmas tree for a fun holiday appetizer presentation – but you can also simply bake these up individually and serve them piled on a platter.
How do you make Spinach Pesto Pinwheels?
You’ll start by mixing up an easy, thick pesto of fresh baby spinach, toasted walnuts, garlic, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, olive oil, and salt and pepper. (A food processor makes quick work of any pesto recipe.)
Spread the pesto over sheets of puffed pastry, then sprinkle chopped roasted red pepper evenly over the green spread. Next, cover the entire pesto-pepper layer with shredded cheddar cheese.
Roll the pesto and cheese covered puff pastry into a log, then slice each log – you’ll end up with 19 pinwheels.
Place the pinwheels on two parchment-lined, rimless cookie sheets – creating the top point of the tree on one baking sheet, and the bottom trunk of the tree on the other. (Or – just bake the Spinach Pesto Pinwheels in rows if you don’t want to form a tree shape for serving.)
Either way, just be sure that you leave about half an inch of space in between each pinwheel to ensure that the rounds have room to puff up as they bake, and each piece can cook through. (If they are too close together, the center pinwheels will be under-cooked.)
After baking, carefully slide the pinwheels onto a large serving board – assembling the tree shape. Serve immediately.
Can I create other shapes?
Sure! You could create a Spinach Pesto Pinwheels star, a football for a game day party – or any other shape you come up with. Just be sure to leave space between each pinwheel as they bake.
Serve your Spinach Pesto Pinwheels hot out of the oven. They bake up light and crispy – and the cheesy spinach and pepper filling is absolutely delicious!
You may enjoy these other appetizer recipes:
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms with Mascarpone
- Baked Brie
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Crab Imperial with Crostini
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Spinach Pesto Pinwheels
Ingredients
1 17.3-ounce box puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg beaten with one teaspoon of water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with two racks in upper quadrant of oven.
Thaw out pastry sheets if frozen and lay out end to end on a large cutting board. On one end, dab a little water across the edge then pull the edge of the second piece over and stick to the wet edge. Press to seal. You now have one 18-inch-long sheet.
In a small saute pan place walnuts and over medium heat toast to light brown, about five minutes. Cool and add to the bowl of a food processor.
Add spinach, garlic, Parmesan, Romano, salt and pepper and hit the power button.
Slowly pour the oil in through the top spout with the motor running until a thick paste forms. (Normal pesto would use twice the amount of oil but in this recipe, the amount of oil is reduced to produce a thick spreadable pesto.)
Spread this pesto across the pastry surface leaving about a half inch along one long side open.
Sprinkle the chopped red roasted pepper across the surface of the pesto.
Sprinkle the cheese across the surface over the peppers and pesto.
With your fingers, dab a little water along the open edge.
Start opposite the open edge and begin rolling, ending on the open edge, seam down.
With a sharp knife, cut the roll in half, yielding two 9” logs. Cut each log in half yielding four 4 ½ inch logs.
Three logs will be cut into five slices and one log cut into four slices. Start by marking the tops using a ruler to get even cuts then slice through. The last log slice into four. You will have 19 pieces.
Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
On one, start building a pyramid shape using ten pieces that were cut five to a log, cut side down. (one at top, then two, three and four on bottom.)
On the second pan, turn the pan sideways and build the bottom of the tree using five across, again using the pieces that were cut five to a log, and then the four larger cut pieces for the trunk – two on top of two.
Each slice should be about a half inch from the next one to make room for expansion as they bake.
Beat the egg with the water and brush the tops of each cut, being careful not to let the egg drip down to the parchment lined pan.
Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden and puffy. Rotate pans between racks half way through.
To serve, combine top shape with bottom shape to form a Christmas tree. This is simply a serving idea however, and can be baked and displayed in any shape you want. For example, you could bake these together in ovals to look like footballs, or the shape of a star, etc., or simply baked on two sheets and layered on a platter for serving.
Serve immediately.
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