Mushroom, Walnut & Spinach Recipe

Prepare mushrooms

Trim and wipe mushrooms with a damp towel; slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Measure walnuts and pulse briefly in a food processor or chop by hand until coarse (small chunks, not powder).

Cook aromatics

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté 5–7 minutes until translucent and beginning to caramelize.

Add mushrooms

Increase heat to medium-high and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Spread in a single layer and let cook undisturbed 2 minutes to brown, then stir and cook 4–6 more minutes until mushrooms release moisture and most of it evaporates (browned and slightly caramelized).

Add garlic, thyme & walnuts

Reduce heat to medium, add the minced garlic and thyme; cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the chopped toasted walnuts and cook 1 minute to warm through.

Wilt spinach & season

Add the spinach in batches, stirring to wilt between additions (it will reduce significantly). Once all spinach is wilted, add soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook 1–2 minutes to let flavors combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cool filling slightly

Transfer the vegetable-walnut mixture to a bowl and let cool 5–10 minutes so it won't scramble the egg in the binder.

Combine with binder

Add the room-temperature cream cheese (or ricotta), the egg, and grated Parmesan (if using) to the cooled filling. Stir thoroughly until evenly combined. The mixture should be cohesive but not runny; if too wet, squeeze out a little excess moisture from the filling before adding the binder.

Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare pastry

If using puff pastry, thaw according to package directions and roll lightly to a roughly 10 x 12-inch rectangle. If using pie dough, roll to similar thickness. Transfer pastry to the prepared baking sheet.

Portion filling

Spoon the mushroom-walnut-spinach mixture down the center of the pastry in a log about 3–4 inches wide, leaving a 1–1.5 inch border at the long edges. If making individual turnovers, cut pastry into desired shapes and place filling on each portion.

Fold & seal

For a rustic tart: fold the long edges of the pastry up and over the filling, overlapping slightly and leaving the center exposed. For turnovers: fold over and crimp edges with a fork. Brush exposed pastry with a light brush of olive oil or melted butter.

Egg wash

Beat the reserved egg with 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush the exposed pastry edges (and turnovers) with egg wash to promote browning.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is set. For smaller turnovers, bake 15–18 minutes. If the pastry browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Rest & serve

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature; optionally garnish with extra thyme leaves or a light drizzle of olive oil.