Sausage — Spinach Calzones — The Sunday That Brought Us Back

End of February.

Drove Tuesday-Wednesday.

Gayle tired Friday. Recovered Saturday.

Sunday: pot roast.

With Gayle back on her feet by Saturday, Sunday felt like a chance to finally exhale — and I wanted to put something warm and real on the table, something that required a little patience and rewarded it. A pot roast was the original plan, but these Sausage ’n Spinach Calzones caught my eye and felt just right: golden and stuffed and the kind of thing that makes the whole house smell like everything is okay again. After a week of driving and waiting and watching, that was exactly what we needed.

Sausage & Spinach Calzones

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb store-bought or homemade pizza dough, divided into 4 portions
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cook the sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and cook sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Drain any excess fat.
3. Wilt the spinach. Add chopped spinach to the skillet with the sausage and stir over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Season with red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Fold in the cooled sausage and spinach mixture until evenly combined.
5. Shape the calzones. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into an 8-inch round. Spoon about 1/2 cup of filling onto one half of each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with a fork.
6. Egg wash and vent. Transfer calzones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg. Cut 2–3 small slits in the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape.
7. Bake. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until calzones are deep golden brown and dough is cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
8. Serve. Plate with warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 620 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg