Puff pastry filled with chard, pine nuts, and raisins

Name: Puff pastry filled with chard, pine nuts, and raisins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Puff pastry (2 rectangular sheets of 8 ounces each) 1 lb; Chard 1.5 lbs; Pine nuts 2 tbsp; Raisins 1 oz; Scamorza (provola) cheese smoked 5.3 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 2 ¼ tsp; Garlic 1 clove; Fine salt to taste; Eggs 1

it br es fr de

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Makes: 4 pieces
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Sfogliette ripiene di bietole, pinoli e uvetta bring a little taste of Southern Italy right to your table. Seriously good. These Swiss chard puff pastry parcels might look fancy, but they're all about that classic Italian habit of making veggies into something crispy and special. So here's the thing, with a filling of Swiss chard—called bietole down south—plus pine nuts, sweet raisins, and a good amount of smoky scamorza cheese, every bite's a surprise. Really, really good stuff. The raisins show up with just enough sweet to balance out the tender greens, while the cheese adds a cozy, slightly smoky flavor. Folks in the south have used this combo for ages, especially in autumn when bietole is everywhere and people are looking for foods that feel heartier. And you know what? The golden pastry outside gets all flaky and crispy in the oven—pretty simple—and that’s what makes these so easy to grab as an appetizer or a snack at any get-together.

Plus, what sets these savory chard pastries apart from other Italian antipasti is how they take simple ingredients and turn them into something so inviting. Pretty much. You get a filling that’s both moist and rich, thanks to the mix of raisins, pine nuts, and scamorza—way more interesting than your average spinach pie. The chard and pine nut turnovers bring together a little tangy edge from the cheese and that special Mediterranean touch with the pine nuts. Down in places like Campania and Calabria, these flavors are tied to autumn dinners, sometimes popping up at family tables before a big meal or during holiday spreads.

If you’re into vegetarian puff pastry appetizers, this is about as Italian as it gets: fresh, seasonal produce layered with ingredients that have been around in Southern Italian kitchens forever. They’re kind of perfect for sharing—really—and their golden crust makes them look just as good as they taste. Whether you know a lot about Italian chard recipes or are just after something new and satisfying, these pastries make it easy to see why antipasti are such a big deal in Italy. Can't go wrong. It's a delicious way to explore the flavors of a beautiful region and enjoy a culinary tradition.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for 4 puff pastries: Puff pastry 1 lb (460 g) - (2 rectangular sheets of 8 ounces each); Chard 1.5 lbs (700 g); Pine nuts 2 tbsp (20 g); Raisins 1 oz (30 g); Scamorza (provola) cheese 5.3 oz (150 g) - smoked; Extra virgin olive oil 2 ¼ tsp (10 g); Garlic 1 clove; Fine salt to taste

for brushing: Eggs 1

Preparation

How to prepare Puff pastry filled with chard, pine nuts, and raisins

To prepare the puff pastries filled with chard, pine nuts, and raisins, start by soaking the raisins in a small bowl with water 1; then rinse the chard under running water 2, trim them to remove the stalk 3

Boil them for 5 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a non-stick pan 5, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When they are lightly golden, transfer them to a small bowl and set aside 6.

Then brown the whole garlic clove in a non-stick pan 7, drain the chard 8, then add them to the pan and sauté for about 6 minutes 9.

Remove the garlic 10, turn off the heat, and drain the chard 11; let them cool, then finely chop them 12.

Slice the smoked scamorza cheese 13 and drain the raisins from the soaking water 14. Then roll out both rolls of ready-made puff pastry and divide them into 4 equal parts with a sharp knife 15.

Place 2 slices of smoked scamorza cheese on 4 rectangles each 16, then the sautéed chard 17, followed by the toasted pine nuts 18 and drained raisins: leave a couple of centimeters from the edges of the puff pastry.

Separate the egg white from the yolk needed for brushing, and brush the unfilled part of the puff pastry with the egg white 19; then place another 4 rectangles of puff pastry on the 4 filled rectangles to close them and slightly prick the surface 20. Then, with a fluted pastry cutter, trim the edges 21

You can also trim the excess corners 22; then place the 4 filled puff pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the surface with a beaten yolk 23. Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 25 minutes or until golden (if fan-assisted, at 320°F for 15-20 minutes). Once cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving 24!

Storage

You can store the puff pastries filled with chard, raisins, and pine nuts in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container, then heat them in the microwave before serving.

They can be frozen if you have used fresh, not thawed, ingredients.