Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone are warm pockets of pizza dough stuffed with braised Swiss chard, fresh mozzarella, sweet golden raisins and toasted pine nuts for a delicious lunch or anytime snack.
There is something deeply pleasing to me which comes in part from a continuity of sorts when making traditional meals. I find they bring to mind such fond memories of a time when those before us lovingly prepared the same food we so treasure to this very day.
Usually served during the Easter celebrations, these Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone are so delicious you’ll want to make them all year round.
Although calzone can be stuffed with just about anything, these Swiss chard filled ones brimming with sweet raisins and tender pine nuts is a typical childhood dish. Sliced in small vertical pieces, they were always served as part of our antipasto before lunch or even dinner.
I used a very basic focaccia dough recipe for my calzone, much like the dough used to make my Schiacciata Con L’uva.
However, if your pressed for time store bought pizza dough will also work beautifully.
Once assembled, all that’s needed is a light brushing of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some dried parsley flakes.
A very hot oven works best therefore you’ll want to preheat your oven to a very high temperature of 425 or 450 degrees F to achieve a crispy outer crust.
These Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone also make a rather relaxed meal accompanied with a crispy salad and complimented with a glass of wine.
Enjoy them hot or cold and should you be so lucky to have any leftovers the next day try heating them up in a skillet or even a panini press. While the outer layers crisp up nicely the vegetable filled centers remain soft offering up a lovely contrast.
Buon Appetito!
Swiss Chard Mozzarella Calzone
Ingredients
- PIZZA DOUGH
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 grams quick rise instant yeast
- SWISS CHARD FILLING
- 2 big bunches of Swiss chard rinsed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (stems included)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 generous pinches of red chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted (see note)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella diced
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
- dry parsley flakes for sprinkling
Instructions
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Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds or till lukewarm.
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In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, salt, yeast and stir well.
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Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
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Stir in another cup of flour till combined.
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Invert the dough onto a well floured counter and knead for a few minutes, working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth.
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Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over. Cover with saran wrap.
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Let it rise till it doubles in size for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, in a draft free place.
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SWISS CHARD FILLING
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While the pizza dough rises prepare the Swiss chard filling.
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Heat about 4 inches of water in a very large stock pot.
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When water comes to a boil add in the Swiss chard and salt to taste.
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Lower the heat and cook the greens for about 10 minutes.
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Drain and set aside.
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In a large frying pan, add the oil with the smashed garlic, chili flakes and cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic is just slightly golden.
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Add in the drained swiss chard, pine nuts, raisins and salt and pepper to taste.
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Stir and cook the mixture for a few minutes, until the liquid evaporates.
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Set aside to cool.
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PREHEAT OVEN TO 425 degrees F"
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Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
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Transfer the pizza dough to a floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces.
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Roll each piece into an 8 inch round circle and place on the prepared baking sheet.
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Divide the Swiss chard mixture evenly between the 4 pizza rounds leaving a 1 inch border, topping one half while leaving the other half extended.
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Sprinkle the diced mozzarella over the filling onto each calzone.
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Fold the extended half over the filling while pressing to seal around the edges to secure the filling.
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Use a fork to press down along the outer edge or use your fingers to crimp the edges.
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Brush some olive oil over each calzone.
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Sprinkle each calzone with Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.
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Bake for 30 minutes switching the pans half way through for even baking.
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When ready the calzone will be puffed and golden brown.
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Let cook a little before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat until they are lightly golden. You'll want to keep an eye on them as they're browning because they can burn very quickly.
Oh yum, that looks absolutely delicious!
They are really yummy, thank-you 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious!
They make great picnic foods! Thank-you 🙂
No doubt!
These are gorgeous, Marisa! I can imagine all that flavor come busting out! My husband would love these!
These were and still are a family favorite while growing up and my sisters and I would also argue over who got the most pieces…lol! Thanks so much Annie 🙂
What gorgeous calzones Marisa! They sure would be great picnic food too!
Indeed they would Kathryn with a bit of vino on the side…just perfect. Thanks so much?
This is a heavenly calzone for me! I love the pram-parsley topping on the outside of the crust- I’ve never seasoned the outside of the dough on a calzone. Great idea!
Seasoning the tops of the calzone really adds more textures and flavors. The Parmesan cheese takes on a more nutty taste and adds a little crunch. Hope you get to try it Josette.
Calzones are my daughter’s favorite. (Dinner on your birthday favorite!) I’m trying these for sure! 🙂
Your daughter has great taste in food…..there are endless possibilities when it comes to filling Calzone! Enjoy Josette?
Irresistible! I love such pastries, and am a big fan of the raisins-pine nuts combination. It adds so much! 🙂
I too now love the combination of raisins and pine nuts but not so much when I was WAY younger. I would meticulously pluck out all the raisins whenever they appeared in any savory or sweet foods. Thanks so much Ronit 🙂
lol I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who did that! I was scolded often for doing the very same thing. It actually was one of the motivations to start cooking at a young age. I used to put twice as much raisins in everything, so I could get away with it! 😀
Lol….I knew we were soul sisters, we both love to cook and disliked raisins at a very young age!!! ?
ooops…. Guess I misread – I actually loved them so much that I had to double the amount!
Well, I guess I was compensating for your dislike! 🙂
Lol…that is too funny Ronit! I guess I misread yours as well and I swear that I had my glasses on 🙂 It’s all good 🙂
And on my part, I took it for granted that you loved them. I mean – who could not like raisins???! LOL
Lol…Indeed…..for me they’ve been an acquired taste! Thanks so much Ronit?
A beautiful picknick snack. Sounds absolutely delicious. Marisa, I am experiencing the same problem you had earlier. Since I moved to self hosted site my posts are not appearing in my followers feed. How did you resolve your problem earlier. Need your help please. Regards Sumith
That explains why I wasn’t getting your posts Sumith. I would encourage you to reach out to the happiness engineers as often as needed. They really are quite helpful however sometimes the same issue needs to be addressed a few times. Don’t give up Sumith, I am sure it will be resolved soon. Hope this helps and thanks for dropping by. Anytime I can help just give me a shout 🙂
This this so so good! I just love your blog! I like Swiss chard a lot too. It is a good alternative to spinach.
If you open a restaurant some day, I’m coming!
Wow! These just look amazing! I never think to use Swiss chard, but I can see it can be so versatile. Beautiful work:)
Swiss Chard makes a wonderful side dish to any type of meat and of course always delicious over pizza or in a calzone. Thanks for commenting Julia ?
I neeeeeeed to give this a try. I adore pizza, but I have yet to try a calzone that I really enjoy. I think it’s just because store-bought ones tend to be a little over-stuffed or overly bread-y, making that balance hard to strike. But taking things into my own hands (with scratch made dough to boot!) sounds like a good idea. LOVE the filling you’ve done here – it’s so rich (yet healthy), with some really wonderful ingredients. I’m particular into the use of raisins and pine nuts! What a great idea!
Raisins and pine nuts were always paired together when used in any type of stuffing while growing up…I grew to love them from a very young age! Do give it a try Sean and thanks for commenting?
Hi, this looks so tasty! Thanks for the recipe. My farmers market has had it the last two times so I’ve been looking for yummy recipes. My question is about the raisins….can I ask what the thinking is behind using them? It just sounds an odd addition to a savory dish, yet I noticed you did it on another one too. Please enlighten me!!!
Hi Melissa, using raisins in savoury dishes such as calzone, stuffed sweet bell peppers,eggplants or even meat dishes is just something I grew up with and very common in Italian dishes. Some regions in Italy also use raisins in meatballs. I guess that’s why I never enjoyed them in desserts as I’ve always associated them with savoury dishes. They lend a little burst of sweetness especially when paired with bitter greens not unlike a sweet and sour dish. Hope this helps and thanks for commenting
Looks delicious. And the filling is very Italian! Sweet and savory combinations are an essential part of Italian cuisine in the south with the Arabic influence. It’s nice to see the tradition continued.
Thanks Stella, I love the continuity of older traditions and looking forward to creating more from my childhood! Yes the Arabic influence is quite evident down south especially Sicily which I hope to visit one day?
You really should visit Sicily. I went for the first time last year and it was very beautiful. Especially if you like the beach! Soft, white sand along the southern coast.
That is definitely my kind of beach…soft white sands and no rocks! My husband and I both would LOVE to visit Sicily. From what we hear, its simply stunning 🙂
I don’t need to taste this to absolutely be sure that it is wonderful. The raisins and pine nuts give the filling a nice twist. Rest assured, there would not be leftovers at our house.
They really disappear quickly, I was actually quite pleased to have a few pieces left over for the following day. They crisp up beautifully in a cast iron skillet. Thanks Paula 🙂
Nice BLOG!!! ADD my BLOG!!! Kisses!!!
Thanks so much!
Looks delicious! Lovely photography.
Thanks so much graham, they really are quite yummy!