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Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap

This spinach ricotta crescent wrap makes a great meatless dinner for two or three, or for serving as a vegetarian appetizer! Kind of like a calzone wrapped with crescent dough, a sure way to fill you up with leafy greens, veggies and flavor.

Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap cut in half

One of my favorite dinner recipes is the broccoli crescent wrap that was adapted from one my grandma used to make.

A reader recently commented asking how it would taste with spinach instead of broccoli, which prompted me to give it a try!

The original broccoli version of the recipe uses cottage cheese (substituted in place of mayonnaise) but I thought ricotta would go a little better with spinach. So it kind of turned into a calzone without the sauce.

For the broccoli wrap, I don’t saute the greens – but spinach is a totally different thing when cooked. So one small extra step is required for the spinach, to saute the leafy greens with a bell pepper.

I used red bell pepper for the pop of color (plus, they are a little sweeter than green ones).

sauteed spinach and bell pepper for the Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap recipe

Pro tip: you can save a mixing bowl for the next step and just dump the ricotta cheese and herbs into the skillet with the vegetables!

Italian seasoning works great, other options include but aren’t limited to basil, oregano, or dill (like the broccoli wrap).

Let it cool a little bit so it doesn’t completely melt the dough in the next step.

sauteed spinach and bell pepper with ricotta in cast iron pan - for the Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap recipe
sauteed spinach and bell pepper with ricotta mixed together in cast iron pan - Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap

Literally the hardest part of this recipe is opening the crescent roll can (does anybody else hold their breath in anticipation, waiting for the “pop!”?).

Or maybe cooking the spinach. Remember how much spinach cooks down, so you should probably add to add to skillet a handful at a time, in stages so it doesn’t overflow.

After unrolling the crescent dough, press together the creases a little to make it more of a sheet of dough. Then you can spoon out the (slightly cooled) spinach mixture and spread it on top.

Leave a little room around the edges!

Spinach ricotta mixture spread on crescent wrap before braiding- Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap

Then braid the dough, like so.

And bake until dough is done and nicely browned!

Baked and braided spinach ricotta mixture on crescent wrap - Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap

With basically only 5 minute prep time, under 30 minute bake time, dinner is served.

Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap cut in half with a bite on fork

Veggies, protein, and carbs!

My kind of balanced meal.

Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap cut in half

Other options for this crescent wrap recipe:

  • Make an appetizer crescent ring! You do so by separating the crescent dough into the perforated triangles, and arranging the triangles so that the bottom/ short sides of triangles form a small circle in the middle. Fill each triangle with the spinach mixture and roll each up from the point of the triangle to the center. (This method works best when doubling the recipe.)
  • To make it even more like a calzone, use pizza dough instead of crescent dough! Our homemade version is easy, or store bought would work too.
Yield: 4

Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap

Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap cut in half

This Spinach Ricotta Crescent Wrap makes a great meatless dinner for two or three, or for serving as a vegetarian appetizer! Kind of like a calzone wrapped with crescent dough, a sure way to fill you up with leafy greens, veggies and flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 oz.) package crescent rolls
  • 1 tablespoon oil, (extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are my go-to's)
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used red)
  • 1 (6 oz.) package fresh baby spinach, (roughly 4 packed cups)
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (or other shredded white cheese like Italian blend)
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, (or your choice of basil, oregano, parsley, or dill)
  • sprinkle of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. On a baking sheet (sprayed with oil or lined with parchment paper), roll out crescent dough flat and press edges together to make a sheet.
  3. In a medium-sized cast iron skillet or saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped bell pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.
  4. Add spinach a cup or so at a time, cooking down in stages (should only take a couple minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  5. Mix in ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, seasoning and salt and pepper. Let cool for a couple minutes, as to not melt dough in next step.
  6. Pour spinach mixture over crescent dough in an even layer, leaving room around the edges of the dough. Braid the crescent dough around the spinach mixture (see write-up in article for picture demonstration).
  7. Bake at 350°F. for 25-30 minutes, or until dough is golden brown.

Notes

*serves 2-3 as a meal, 4 as a side, or 8 servings as an appetizer. Nutrition info is based on 4 servings.

Other option: Make an appetizer crescent ring! By separating the crescent dough into the perforated triangles, and arranging the triangles so that the bottom/ short sides of triangles form a small circle in the middle. Fill each triangle with the spinach mixture and roll each up from the point of the triangle to the center. (This method works best when doubling the recipe.)

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Saturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 616mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 10g

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Kimberly

Monday 22nd of May 2023

Can I use Phillo dough or frozen pie crust?

Linda

Tuesday 25th of January 2022

Don’t put on a lower rack in the oven. I put mine in and 14 minutes into the 25 minutes the bottom was totally burned. Next time I will put on a higher tack and lower temperature.

Lisa

Monday 5th of July 2021

I just made this but added organic ground chicken to appease my family of meat eaters. It was fabulous and is definitely going into regular rotation!

Stacy

Friday 12th of March 2021

This was AMAZING!!! I did modify slightly by adding 3 cloves of garlic and red onion to the sauté. I also brushed the crust with melted butter and sprinkled it with garlic salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and some shredded parmesan cheese. Even the kids loved it! Perfect!

Julie Dunn

Friday 5th of March 2021

This was great. A nice change on Fridays during Lent.

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