Puffed Pastry Muffuletta Pinwheels Recipe

The combination of cold cuts and cheese is a classic for good reason, and countless sandwiches feature this tantalizing pairing — including one Sicilian-American favorite. "Muffuletta sandwiches are one of my favorite things about visiting New Orleans," Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone shares, adding, "All the delicious meats sandwiched together with provolone cheese and olive salad makes it pretty much the perfect sandwich."

While a hearty sandwich is an excellent way to satisfy your midday hunger, Morone created these puffed pastry muffuletta pinwheels as a moreish snack — mortadella, giardiniera, and all. "With this recipe you are taking a delicious sandwich and turning it into a fun appetizer that you can serve whenever you want," she explains. "This would be great for a party or a potluck, especially because the recipe does make a lot." Preheat your oven and prepare to impress your happy hour guests with every buttery, briny bite.

For these puffed pastry muffuletta pinwheels, you'll need giardiniera (drained) to start the olive salad. Morone notes, "If you can't find giardiniera in your local store, you can make your own with a variety of pickled vegetables." Next, drain some kalamata olives and capers, then get ground black pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. 

Before you begin cooking, be sure to defrost 2 puff pastry sheets. For the filling, you'll need sliced prosciutto, Genoa salami, mortadella, and provolone cheese. Finally, you'll need egg, water, and fresh parsley to garnish, if desired.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Add giardiniera, olives, pepperoncini, capers, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped.

Place 1 puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spread the olive salad evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch border around each side.

Evenly layer half of the prosciutto, salami, mortadella, and provolone over the olive salad.

Tightly roll the pastry into a log, pinching the edges shut. Place in the freezer and repeat the process with the remaining puff pastry, olive salad, meat, and cheese.

Slice each log into 12 pieces. Place pinwheels at least 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons water.

Brush egg wash over the tops and sides of the pinwheels.

Bake pinwheels for 18-20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve warm.

If you're wondering why this recipe requires you to freeze the rolled puff pastry before slicing it, Morone offers a useful explanation. "Warmth is kind of the enemy of puff pastry, so it should be cold before it goes in the oven," she says. About the sudden temperature difference, Morone notes why you don't want to skip this step, "That's what causes it to puff up and get nice layers. If the pastry is warm, the butter will leak out, and you will end up with soggy pastry."

Aside from contributing to the optimal flaky texture that makes puff pastry so desirable, Morone points out that the freezing step also makes it easier to cut the rolls into smooth pinwheels without losing any filling, "because everything will be more solid after being in the freezer for about 5 minutes." 

This delicious recipe makes an excellent snack to serve while hosting, and thankfully, it can be prepared beforehand. Morone instructs, "Once everything is wrapped up in the puff pastry log, you can freeze it in a freezer bag. Before you are ready to bake, just slightly thaw the puff pastry log until you are able to easily cut it, and bake the pinwheels at 400 F until golden brown." Keep a few rolls in your freezer, and you're guaranteed to always have a savory treat at the ready in no time.

Once baked, Morone notes, "You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days." Skip the microwave to reheat, as they'll get soggy. Instead, Morone recommends heating the oven to 350 F and baking the pinwheels until warm and toasty, or you could use your air fryer instead.