Feta, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls are the puff pastry parcel your lunchbox has been missing.
They're just as good warm from the oven for dinner as they are cold the next day, and they freeze like an absolute dream if you want to stash a batch for busy weeks alongside my Ham And Cheese Pinwheels or Vegetarian Sausage Rolls.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
📋 Recipe: Feta, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
⏱️ Ready In: 45 minutes (20 min prep + 25 min bake)
🍽️ Serves: 18 rolls
🔥 Calories: 178 per roll
🧀 Main Ingredients: Puff pastry, spinach, feta and ricotta
🥗 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free pastry option, Thermomix method included
❤️ Why You'll Love It: Golden and flaky, freezer-friendly, and perfect for lunchboxes or party food
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"Lovely recipe thank you! Very easy to prepare. I made with fresh baby spinach and they were delicious."
Carolyn
Carolyn's not wrong, this is genuinely one of the easiest puff pastry bakes on the blog.
If you're on a bit of a savoury-roll kick, my Feta & Spinach Muffins, Puff Pastry Cheese Twists and Ricotta & Spinach Tarts are all worth a look too.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Crispy, golden pastry every single time, no soggy bottoms, as long as you follow the spinach-draining trick below.
- Sneaky vegetables the kids won't even clock. Mine devour these without a single complaint, which is basically a miracle in my house.
- Freezer-friendly so you can stash a batch for school lunches, unexpected visitors, or those nights you just can't be bothered.
- Ready in well under an hour, and most of that is hands-off baking time while you sit down with a cuppa.
Savoury Rolls Ingredients
Just imagine... perfectly crisp and flaky spinach puff pastry rolls filled with creamy feta and ricotta. Sounds amazing, right!?
- Frozen Spinach - Fully defrosted and squeezed dry so your pastry doesn't go soggy.
- Puff Pastry Sheets - Use good-quality store-bought sheets; make sure they're thawed but cold before you start rolling.
- Feta & Ricotta Cheese - A creamy, cheesy combo that adds richness, texture and just the right amount of tang while binding the filling together beautifully.
Variations
- Gluten-Free Option - swap in a good quality gluten-free puff pastry. It can be a bit more delicate, so handle it gently.
- Fresh Spinach - use finely chopped fresh spinach instead of frozen (about 300g raw). Wilt it down and squeeze it well first, same rule applies.
- Mediterranean Twist - stir through some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and olives for extra punch.
- Fresh dill, parsley, oregano or basil all work beautifully if you want to boost the herby flavour.
- Vegan-Friendly - use a dairy-free ricotta and feta, and swap the egg wash for a splash of plant milk.
How To Make Feta, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
- Step 1: Drain the spinach. Place the defrosted spinach in a strainer and use paper towel to squeeze out every last bit of liquid you possibly can.
- Step 2: Combine the filling. Place the drained spinach, onion, feta, ricotta, egg and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Mix well. Stir everything together until it's evenly combined. Don't overmix, you just want it all incorporated.
- Step 4: Fill the pastry. Cut each pastry sheet into 6 rectangles. Spoon the filling along the centre of half the rectangles, leaving a clear rim around the edges.
- Step 5: Seal and top. Cover with the remaining rectangles and press the edges firmly with a fork. Cut two small slits in the top of each roll, brush with the whisked egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Step 6: Bake. Bake at 190°C fan-forced for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden all over.
Team Thermomix? You can whip up the filling in your Thermomix too. Pop the onion in and chop on Speed 6, 5 seconds, scraping down and repeating twice more. Then add the drained spinach, feta, ricotta, egg and garlic and mix Reverse, Speed 4, 10 seconds, scraping down and repeating until it's completely combined. Assembly and baking stays exactly the same as above.
Recipe Tips
- Moisture Control - it's REALLY important to squeeze every last bit of liquid out of the spinach, or you'll end up with soggy pastry. I use a strainer and paper towel and really go to town on it.
- Cold Pastry - keep your puff pastry well chilled until you're ready to use it. That's what gives you all those lovely flaky layers.
- Filling looking too wet, or too dry and crumbly? A sloppy mix usually means there's still liquid hiding in the spinach or ricotta, give it another squeeze. Too dry just needs an extra spoonful of ricotta to bring it back together.
- Don't Overfill - leave a clear rim around the edges so you get a proper seal.
- Seal Well - press the edges down firmly with a fork. This is what stops the filling leaking out in the oven.
- Make Ahead - assemble the rolls the day before and keep them chilled, uncooked, ready to bake.
- Storing - keep baked rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp back up.
- Freezing - freeze baked or unbaked rolls in a single layer first, then transfer to a container or bag for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen baked rolls, bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes straight from frozen. Frozen unbaked rolls need closer to 30 minutes at 190°C. If you'd rather defrost first, baked rolls only need about 10 minutes to warm through, and raw ones bake in the usual 25 minutes.
- These cook up a treat in the air fryer too. Pop them in a single layer, not touching, at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
- Serving - gorgeous with a good chutney, or a bowl of tzatziki on the side.
Feta, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls FAQs
So your pastry turns out crispy, not soggy. ALL the liquid needs to come out of the spinach before it goes anywhere near the filling. I find it easiest to tip it into a strainer and squeeze it hard with paper towel.
Yes, absolutely. Just chop it finely (a food processor or Thermomix makes quick work of it), wilt it down, and squeeze out the liquid the same way you would with frozen.
Definitely, on both counts. Assemble and keep them chilled, uncooked, until you're ready to bake. Or freeze them, baked or unbaked, in a single layer before transferring to a container. Frozen baked rolls reheat in about 15 minutes at 180°C, frozen unbaked ones take closer to 30 minutes at 190°C.
Two things. Don't overfill each rectangle, leave a proper rim around the edges, and press that rim down firmly with a fork before it goes in the oven.
Warm from the oven is my pick, but they're honestly still good cold the next day or reheated with a fresh salad on the side. A dollop of tzatziki never hurts either.
More Puff Pastry Savouries
If puff pastry parcels are your thing (same), here are a few more worth adding to the rotation.
Feta, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
Ingredients
- 6 sheets puff pastry defrosted
- 250 g frozen spinach defrosted
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 200 g feta cheese crumbled
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1 crushed garlic clove)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 whisked egg to brush
- sesame seeds to sprinkle
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease 3 flat baking trays with cooking oil spray and set aside.
- Place the defrosted spinach into a strainer and squeeze out all of the liquid using paper towel (see notes).
- Place the drained spinach, chopped onion, crumbled feta, ricotta, one egg, garlic and salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Cut each pastry sheet into 6 equal sized rectangles (so you will have 36 rectangles in total).
- Divide the filling between 18 of the pastry rectangles (leaving the remaining 18 without filling). Ensure you place the filling into the middle of each pastry rectangle, leaving a small gap around the entire outside edge.
- Brush beaten egg over the edges of the pastry rectangles that have the filling.
- Place a pastry rectangle (with no filling) onto the top of one of the filling pastry rectangles. Use a fork to join the two pastry sheets together into one rectangle. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets.
- Use a knife to cut 2 small slits through the top pastry sheet.
- Brush over the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place onto the prepared trays and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease 3 flat baking trays with cooking oil spray and set aside.
- Place the defrosted spinach into a strainer and squeeze out all of the liquid using paper towel (see notes).
- Place the onion into the Thermomix bowl and bowl on Speed 6, 5 seconds. Scrape and repeat twice more (until it's finely chopped).
- Add the drained spinach, crumbled feta, ricotta, one egg, garlic and salt and pepper to the Thermomix bowl. Mix for 10 seconds, Reverse, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides and repeat until the mixture is completely combined.
- Cut each pastry sheet into 6 equal sized rectangles (so you will have 36 rectangles in total). Divide the filling between 18 of the pastry rectangles (leaving the remaining 18 without filling). Ensure you place the filling into the middle of each pastry rectangle, leaving a small gap around the entire outside edge.
- Brush beaten egg over the edges of the pastry rectangles that have the filling. Place a pastry rectangle (with no filling) onto the top of one of the filling pastry rectangles. Use a fork to join the two pastry sheets together into one rectangle. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets.
- Use a knife to cut 2 small slits through the top pastry sheet.
- Brush over the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place onto the prepared trays and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Notes
- Spinach - You can substitute frozen spinach for finely chopped fresh spinach.
- Moisture Control - It's REALLY important to remove all excess spinach liquid to avoid soggy pastry!
- Cold Pastry - Work with well-chilled puff pastry for maximum flakiness.
- Don't Overfill - Keep a rim around the edges so they seal easily.
- Seal Well - Press edges firmly so your filling doesn't leak.
- Make Ahead - You can assemble the rolls the day before and refrigerate before baking.
- Storing - Refrigerate baked rolls in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheating - Pop leftovers back in the oven to crisp them up.
- Freezing Instructions - Freeze baked or unbaked rolls in a single layer, then transfer to a bag or container for up to 3 months. If baking from frozen, add a few extra minutes to bake time.
- Serving - Great with your favourite chutney, or dips like tzatziki for great complimentary flavours.
Karen Harvey-Shaw says
As a good deal of the weight of frozen spinach would be water, which gets drained/squeezed out, how much fresh spinach would I use ? By the way, they sound very yummy.
Kaz
Lucy says
Hi Kaz, 250g of frozen spinach is roughly equivalent to 450g fresh spinach. Hope that helps!! xx
Claire says
Can you use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
Lucy says
Absolutely!
Pete says
A very tasty take on the classic Greek spanakopita without the hassle of building up all those layers of filo pastry!
Lucy says
Absolutely!!
Katina Malolakis says
Can you freeze them.
Lucy Mathieson says
Sure can!
Sandy says
Do you freeze them before cooking or after please??
Lucy Mathieson says
I freeze them after cooking so then they just need to be reheated. But you could absolutely freeze them beforehand if you prefer. xx
Sandy says
Thank you!!!
Jess says
Sounds super yummy!
Just wondering if you have a brand of frozen pastry you prefer to use?
Lucy Mathieson says
Hi Jess... just whatever is on special at the time!!