Low-carb spinach and ricotta roll

Low-carb spinach and ricotta roll with eggs, ricotta, hard cheese and sun-dried tomatoes: savoury, moist and ideal as a light oven dish for lunch or dinner.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 25 min
• Total time: 45 min
• Calories: 340 kcal per serving
• Protein: 28 g
• Fat: 22 g
• Carbs: 8 g

Ingredients

• 4 organic eggs, separated
• 50g sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 250g baby spinach
• 50g vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 200g ricotta
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking tray · stick blender · chopping board · knife · grater

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Finely chop or blend the spinach.
2. Stir the egg yolks with the hard cheese and spinach and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold them in.
3. Spread the spinach mixture into a rectangle on the baking paper and bake at 180 °C for 12–15 min, until the base has set. Leave to cool briefly.
4. Stir the ricotta with the garlic, salt, pepper and chopped sun-dried tomatoes until smooth. Carefully turn the spinach base over and peel off the baking paper.
5. Spread the ricotta cream over the base, leaving a little space at the edge. Roll it up tightly from the long side.
6. Cut into slices and serve lukewarm or cold.

Good to know

This roll is uncomplicated but still special. It tastes moist and full of flavour, and it's still a real treat cold.

Swaps

Sun-dried tomatoes in oil → unsweetened dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, or tomatoes you've preserved in olive oil yourself (usually fewer additives) Ricotta → cottage cheese or soft goat's cheese, made from pasteurised milk in pregnancy (more protein) Hard cheese → mature Alpine cheese made from grass-fed milk (stronger flavour, often less lactose) Baby spinach → chard or kale, briefly steamed and squeezed well (more variety, sometimes a little more fibre)

Allergens

Contains egg and milk. Usually well suited to children if the garlic and seasoning stay mild; in pregnancy, only make it with pasteurised ricotta and a thoroughly baked egg mixture.

Frequently asked questions

What's in spinach, nutritionally?

Spinach mainly provides folate, vitamin K and carotenoids such as beta-carotene. It also has smaller amounts of magnesium, potassium and iron.

Why are eggs more than just a binder in this recipe?

Eggs contain protein as well as choline, vitamin B12 and selenium. The yolk also brings small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins.

How is ricotta different from other cheeses?

Ricotta is often milder and softer than many hard cheeses, but it still contains protein and calcium. The exact composition depends a lot on the type.

What happens to tomatoes when they're dried?

Drying concentrates the flavour and some nutrients, including potassium and carotenoids such as lycopene. Depending on the product, though, they can also contain a lot more salt.

Does garlic suit everyone?

That varies a lot from person to person. Garlic contains sulphur compounds that make it interesting in flavour, but they can sometimes be harder to handle with a sensitive stomach or IBS.