Three Cheese Calzones

A bit of a twist on regular ol' pizza, these calzones are pretty simple to make. Just like pizza, you could fill them with anything that strikes your fancy. I didn't have any spinach on hand when I first made these, and it wasn't a problem at all. As long as you have the cheese filling, everything else is secondary! I personally think that 5 cups, even loosely packed, would be pretty spinach-y! Chicken and spinach is always a good combo--substitute chopped cooked chicken breast (maybe left over from a rotisserie chicken?) for the salami, perhaps. Other ingredient options might include carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ...


Three Cheese Calzones
Real Simple, November 2008

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozarella (4 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed, roughly chopped (about 5 cups, loosely packed)
Black pepper
1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup jarred marinara sauce

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll and stretch them into 8-inch rounds. Tip: if the dough is too elastic and shrinks back when you roll it flat into full rounds, let it rest for 15 minutes before trying again.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Layer the salami on one side of each round of dough and top with the cheese mixture. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal.

Brush the tops of the calzones with the oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with sauce.