I’m kind of a sauce nut and a firm believer in using them to punch up the flavor of pretty much anything, so I paired the empanadas with one of my favorite South American sauces: chimichurri. This herb and garlic-based oil which is usually added to meat and fish dishes works just as well as a dipping sauce here. I hope you’ll give them a try!
adapted from Food & Wine
makes 16 large empanadas or 32 small empanadas
Ingredients
for the chimichurri:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
for the dough:
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
3 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
Milk, for brushing on dough before baking
for the filling:
10 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup shelled fava beans (lima beans would also work well)
1/4 pound green beans
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shelled peas
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
1. To make the chimichurri, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, butter and paprika and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the 3 3/4 cups of flour until the dough comes together. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the spinach for 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a colander with a slotted spoon. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green, 1 minute. Transfer the fava beans to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Drain and finely chop the green beans. Peel the tough outer skins from the fava beans. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach, then coarsely chop.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, fava beans, green beans and peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
5. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 32 rounds from the dough (or 16 rounds using a larger biscuit cutter). Moisten the edge of 1 dough round with water. Mound 1 tablespoon of the vegetable filling on half of the round and fold the other side over. Press to seal the dough and pinch at intervals to make pleats. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.
6. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets, brush the tops with milk and bake at 350 degrees in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 30 minutes, until browned. Serve the empanadas warm or at room temperature with chimichurri sauce.
