Spicy Ricotta Stuffed Phyllo Rolls
Photo by Matt Dutile
MAKES
24 phyllo rolls
TAKES
Prep time: 50 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
A savory bake that makes a great snack, appetizer, or even a light meal alongside a big salad. Creamy ricotta cheese is spiked with small pieces of pickled peppadew peppers (you can find them jarred or sometimes at the olive bar in your grocery store). Along with garlic and herbs inside the filling, they’re also finished with a sprinkling of toasted ground fennel seeds + salt. Perfect for parties and best served warm - I love to dunk them in homemade pepper jelly or sweet chili sauce - but hot honey is great, too!
INGREDIENTS
226 g / 1 cup ricotta cheese
30 g / ⅓ cup pickled Peppadew peppers, drained and finely chopped
10 g / 2 cloves garlic, minced
3 g / 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
3 g / 1 teaspoon kosher salt
24 sheets phyllo dough
170 g / 6 ounces unsalted butter, melted
4 g / 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
10 g / 1 tablespoon flaky salt
hot pepper jelly or sweet chili sauce, for serving
More Fun, Crisp Party Foods This Way:
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, peppers, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Open the phyllo dough and unfurl it. Cut the dough in half (you’re aiming for 6 by 8 inch / 15 by 20 cm rectangles, but the exact size may vary by brand of dough). Cover the dough with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel so it doesn’t dry out while you assemble the cigars.
4. Place one sheet of cut phyllo on your work surface, with one of the shorter sides facing you. Lightly brush the dough all over withmelted butter, top it with another piece of dough and then brush that piece all over with butter too.
5. Place about 13 g / 2½ teaspoons of filling in a horizontal line in the middle of the dough, and roll the dough around it like a burrito. (Fold the lower half over the filling, tuck in the sides and then roll up.)
6. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling; you should end up with 24 pieces. The assembled rolls can be frozen at this point - see Note.
7. In a small sauté pan, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the seeds, then stir in the flaky salt.
8. Bake the cigars: Transfer the cigars to the prepared baking sheets—they can be relatively close together, but they shouldn’t be touching. Brush the top of each piece with any remaining melted butter, sprinkle with the fennel salt and bake until golden and crisp, 17 to 22 minutes.
9. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with jelly or chili sauce for dipping.
NOTES
The rolls can be frozen at this point and baked later:
Line them up (close but not touching) on parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze until thoroughly chilled.
The frozen cigars can then be stored in plastic freezer bags, and baked right from the freezer.
Add 5-8 minutes to the bake time when baking from frozen.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
