Ricotta, spinach, and artichoke heart calzone
- Preparation 20 min
- Cooking 25 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍕 When a pizza transforms into something more
This ricotta, spinach, and artichoke heart calzone is the kind of dish you pull out for a casual Friday night, a dinner with friends, or a family movie night. It’s simple, it’s comforting, and it transforms classic ingredients into something truly special. With creamy ricotta, fresh spinach, tender artichoke hearts, and melted mozzarella cheese, you create a pocket of delight that you fold and bake. It’s the kind of recipe that looks sophisticated but is honestly just solid Italian culinary sense.
🧀 Creamy, flavorful, and dangerously good
This calzone is a celebration of Italian flavors made simple and effective. The light ricotta creates a creamy and rich base, the spinach brings an herby depth, the artichoke hearts add tenderness and a mild flavor, and the melted mozzarella ties everything together. Italian spices, parmesan, and olive oil finish it all off. When you pull this out of the oven with the golden crust and the cheese oozing out, that’s what defines culinary comfort. Perfect for Sunday meal prep too — it freezes beautifully and reheats like a champ.
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🔪 Drain the artichoke hearts well
Canned artichoke hearts contain a lot of water that can make the calzone soggy. Drain them in a colander then press them lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture. A dry calzone inside is a calzone that stays crispy.
📐 Seal the edges carefully
A poorly sealed calzone will open during baking and let all the melted cheese escape onto the baking sheet. Fold the bottom edge over the top, then press firmly with your fingers or a fork. The seal must be airtight for the magic to happen inside.
⏱ Don’t overload the filling
The temptation to stuff the calzone is strong, but too much filling prevents the dough from cooking properly in the center and complicates folding. A generous but reasonable layer allows heat to circulate and guarantees even cooking. Less is more here.
❄️ Freeze before or after cooking
This calzone freezes two ways: raw (assemble, freeze on sheet, then wrap) or cooked and cooled. Raw, it goes directly into the oven at 400 °F for 35 to 40 minutes. Cooked, reheat at 350 °F for 15 to 20 minutes. Either way, a luxury lunch anytime.
🔥 Let rest 5 minutes before cutting
The cheese straight out of the oven is at volcanic temperature and will run everywhere if you cut too quickly. Five minutes of rest allows the cheese to stabilize slightly while remaining hot and stringy. Patience is rewarded with a calzone that holds together.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (for work surface)
- 1 ball (450 g / 1 lb) of homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided in two
- 250 ml (1 cup) of homemade pizza sauce
- 130 g (1/2 cup) of light ricotta cheese
- 250 ml (1 cup) of lightly packed spinach
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) of fresh parsley, chopped
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) of sliced black olives (or green)
- 1 can of 398 ml (14 oz) of artichoke hearts in water, drained and cut into quarters
- 6 white mushrooms, sliced
- Freshly ground pepper
- Italian spices
- Garlic salt
- 260 g (2 cups) of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- 2 tsp (10 ml) of finely grated parmesan
- Dried parsley
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Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the two pizza dough halves to form two circles about 25 cm (10 in) in diameter. Place them on the baking sheet.
- Spread about 2 tbsp of pizza sauce on the lower part of each dough. In the center, distribute the ricotta cheese, spinach, fresh parsley, olives, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms. Add pepper and sprinkle with Italian spices and garlic salt. Add the mozzarella cheese and fold the top part over the ingredients. Fold the edge of the bottom dough to form a rim. Press firmly to seal.
- Lightly brush the top of the calzones with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan and dried parsley to taste.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Absolutely. Refrigerated pizza doughs from the supermarket work very well and save time. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling them out so they’re more pliable and easier to work with.
Yes. Replace with fresh goat cheese, cream cheese, or even drained cottage cheese. The result will be slightly different but just as delicious. Ricotta brings a unique texture, but it’s not irreplaceable.
Of course. Pepperoni, crumbled and precooked Italian sausage, or sliced ham integrate perfectly. Add the meat with the other fillings. Avoid meats that are too moist as they would make the calzone soggy.
The crust should be evenly golden and sound hollow when you tap it. If you have any doubt, a thermometer inserted in the center should read at least 165 °F. Better 2-3 minutes more than raw dough in the center.
Yes. Assemble the calzones, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove 15 minutes before baking so they come to room temperature. Add 2-3 minutes to cooking time if they’re still cold.
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