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To clarify, this is a calzoneโฆonly BETTER!
Well, itโs not really a calzone, but that is what I am comparing it to. A Gozleme is actually a turkish flatbread, thatโs made of hand rolled dough and brushed with butter (I used olive oil), filled with different savory toppings and cooked over a griddle (I used my trusty Stuab cast iron skillet). I looked up the meaning ofย Gozlemeย and found that goz is Turkish forย eye. Asย the flatbread cooks, you will see little brown spots begin to appear, apparently these are the โeyesโ. Traditionally, Gozleme can be filled with a minced type of meat, such as lamb, but there are many other types of fillings that can be used. I wentย opposite of meat and filled mine Gozleme with cheese, veggies and herbs.
Typical, right? But hey, this leaves me with yet anotherย Gozleme to try out. My next version will be lamb, and trust me, there will be MANY moreย Gozleme in my future.
They are so good. No, for reals. So good.
Also, I love when Monday includes this much cheesy goodness. Doesnโt it just make Monday all that much better!?!ย And fun? And delicious?
Yup. Yup. Sure does.
Oddly, I am particularly excited for this Monday. One, because I have been dying to share this meal with you since the day I made it and two, because I am hoping that with the start of a new weekย it will also be the start of some new weather (Tuesday says mostly sunny and 49).
I really hate to complain againย about the weather, but well, I just have to (you know, shake it off, complain it off? Same sort of thing, right? Right.). Itโsย been cold, snowing and windy all weekend and umm itโs left me wanting to stay under my covers at all times and hide from lifeโฆif only I was fourteen again and could get away with that.
Someday though, when I am all on top of things, ahead with work and life and the house is semi clean I will have that day. That type of day I used have all the time when I was a teen. That kind of day literally spent in your pajamas, snuggling in your covers and watching re-runs of all the cheesy romantic movies on TV. Come on, you guys all know about this day, right? Itโs typically a rainy day (hey, I lived in Cleveland!) and itโs just what every person needs every once in a while.
I may be remembering them better than they really were, but then again, probably not. Lazy days rule. Just sayin.
Ahh. SHOOT. Now I am realizing that I am probably making you all dream about the perfect lazy day on a Monday. SORRY. Next time, I will do this on a Friday, so you can wake up Saturday and have your perfect lazy day, but then make a killer dinner with an extra chocolate dessert cause thatโs how all lazy days need to end.
Oh, oh!?! What if I made us all a guide to the perfect lazy day? Like a list of all the movies, books, popcorn, cheese, cookies, pizza and ice cream that we definitely need to experience on our lazy day?? Iโm not sure that guide is really needed,ย but it sure would be fun to put together!
OK. stopping now. My mind drifts AND gets a little carried away. Sorry. Again.
Not sure how I got so off track there, but let me get us back on track.ย I know that these asparagus, pistachio pesto and ricotta Gozlemeย may seem a bit odd, but they really are very similar toย making a calzone, only instead of baking, you useย a skillet.
So you see? They are better than a calzone, just for the simple fact that you donโt have to wait twenty minutes for them to bake. And by cooking that dough on the skillet, well itโs like eating a piece of stuffed homemade naanโฆbeyond delicious. The options for fillings are endless. Trust me, I had a rather hard time deciding between a few ideas, but somehow I ended up with one thatโs pretty perfect for spring โ light, colorful and full of fresh herbs and spring veggies.
Oh and right. Cheese!!
I used a mix of ricotta and fontina, but if there are any vegans out there who might want to make this, you can totally leave the cheese out and swap the parmesan in the pesto for nutritional yeast.
You can also use goat cheese if you just are not a fan of cowโs milk cheese. I think goat cheese would be so good. No matter what way you decide to make these, theyโre gonna be awesome. Itโs really all about that dough and cooking it on a skillet. Itโs just a wonderful thing.
Plus, itโs carbs, basil and cheese. Three of my most favorite things.
Asparagus, Pistachio Pesto and Ricotta Gozleme.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon honey, use sugar for vegan variation
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated (use nutritional yeast for vegan variation)
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling and brushing
- salt and pepper, to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
- 6-8 ounces ricotta cheese, omit for for vegan variation
- 4-6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (omit for vegan variation)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- fresh tomatoes and arugula, for serving
Instructions
- To make the dough, place the yeast, honey and water in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. Place the flour and salt in a medium bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and stir together to form a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes or until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Place in a large greased bowl, cover, and set aside in a warm spot for 15-20 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, make the pesto. Add the basil, mint, parmesan, pistachios, garlic, olive oil and a pinch of salt to a food processor or blender. Pulse until until combined. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside or store in the fridge for up to one week.
- Heat a large skillet, grill pan or grill over high heat. Toss the asparagus with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook until lightly charred and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and chop into 1 inch pieces.
- By this time, the dough should be ready to go. Turn the dough out and divide it into 4 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough to an approximately 9 x 14 inch rectangle. Make sure your work surface is well floured, you do not want the dough to stick. Cut each rectangle in half to make 8 squares (or leave as 4 big rectangles for a larger serving).
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, fontina cheese and lemon zest. Place 2-4 tablespoons pesto on one side of each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2 border. Add an 1/8 of the ricotta cheese mixture and then a small handful of asparagus. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, you may not need to use all the pesto.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush both sides of the gozleme with oil (you may also use melted butter) and cook, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Serve with fresh basil, arugula and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
You really cannot go wrong with a combo like that.
The quantities seem very off for this. I didnโt get anywhere near 8. Also Iโm confused why the recipe says serves 6. I think back to the drawing board on this.
I made these last night and they were delicious! Everyone loved them! The only thing about this recipe was that the dough only yielded 5 gozlemes. I let the dough rise a lot, rolled it out very very thin, and I was only able to make 5 gozlemes that were very small (like the palm of my hand). Other than that, they were very tasty and were a hit last night!
Hey Jen! I am really excited you enjoyed these, thats awesome! Sorry that they did not yield 8… Maybe I miscounted when I made the recipe.. I am not too sure. But thanks so much for letting me know, and I am so happy you loved them!! ?