Chestnut and spinach swirls
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Chestnut and spinach swirls
These golden puff-pastry swirls are filled with a pesto-inspired blend of spinach, basil, chestnuts and cheese. They make a great party nibble or a savoury side to soup. Prepare the swirls up to a day ahead and simply bake to serve
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abigail Spooner
Ingredients
- ½ x 180g pouch Merchant Gourmet Cooked Chestnuts
- 1 x 30g pack basil
- 1 x 120g pack young leaf spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 50g parmesan*, finely grated
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water
Step by step
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Put the chestnuts, basil (leaves and stalks), spinach, garlic and parmesan in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice, then process to a pestolike consistency and season to taste. You’ll only need half of this, so store the other half in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (stir through pasta or use in sandwiches).
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Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Unroll one puff pastry sheet onto your work surface so the longest edge is nearest you. Spread over the reserved spinach mixture, so that it almost reaches the edges. Unroll the other sheet of puff pastry and arrange on top so that it sandwiches the filling. Lightly pat down. Use a sharp knife to cut from top-down into 12 strips (each about 3cm wide). Take each strip and use both hands to hold each end and twist it, before rolling the twisted strips into swirls and tucking under the ends to keep them in place. Arrange on the baking trays and brush the pastry with the egg wash. Chill for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours ahead).
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Bake the pastry swirls for 22-25 minutes until puffed and golden, then cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
*Use a vegetarian hard cheese, if required.
