This Italian Calzone Recipe will show you how to make authentic Italian homemade calzones using homemade pizza dough. This cheesy and delicious recipe is filled with ricotta cheese, Italian sausage, and cooked spinach.
If you are looking for a perfect homemade calzone recipe, this is the recipe for you! Made with classic Italian ingredients, this cheesy and satisfying meal will soon become a family favorite.
For more Italian dinner favorites, don’t miss this Carbonara with Pancetta or Italian Stromboli. If you love the combination of sausage and greens, try my Sausage and Kale Pasta recipe.
The Best Italian Calzone Recipe!
This recipe for Italian Calzone is the classic way to make this Neapolitan street food. It starts using my delicious Overnight Pizza Dough and gets filled with a creamy and delicious filling.
You can make calzone using your favorite pizza toppings, but this easy calzone recipe uses the classic Italian toppings of cheese, sausage and spinach.
The dough gets rolled out and filled with these ricotta cheese filling then folded over and baked until golden brown. The result is a delicious and comforting meal that’s a true Italian classic!
This recipe makes four calzones, perfect for a meal. However, you could cut the dough into eight pieces and make smaller calzones.
So, if you love easy calzones that are full of flavor, be sure to give this recipe a try. You’re going to love it!
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: use either mild or hot Italian sausage depending on your preferences. Remove the casings before frying.
- Spinach: add chopped spinach for great color and flavor.
- Ricotta Cheese: use full fat ricotta that’s been well drained.
- Cheeses: I recommend using a combination of shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese for best flavor.
- Seasonings: use a combination of Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Pizza Dough: you’ll need one pound of pizza dough. You can make this using store-bought pizza dough or try my Small Batch Pizza dough recipe.
- Olive Oil: brush the this calzone recipe with olive oil before baking. You could also top with an egg wash.
- Marinara Sauce: I like to serve marinara or pizza sauce on the side to dip the calzone in.
How to Make Italian Calzone Recipe
You can make delicious calzone at home in no time with this simple Italian Calzone recipe. Start by preheating your oven. These can bake on a baking sheet or pizza stone.
Make the Filling
To make the filling, cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Then, add in the chopped spinach and cook just until the spinach is wilted.
Place the filling in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and spices; set aside.
How to Fold a Calzone
- Prepare the dough: Roll out your pizza dough ball into a circle or oval shape, about ¼ inch thick. You can also stretch dough to desired size.
- Add the filling: Place your fillings (cheese, sauce, meats, vegetables) on one half of the dough, leaving about 1-inch border around the edge for sealing.
- Fold the dough: Carefully lift the empty side of the calzone dough and fold it over the filled side, creating a half-moon shape. Press down gently to seal the edges.
- Seal the edges: To make sure your calzone doesn’t open while baking, fold the edges over and crimp them together with your fingers or use a fork to press the edges down tightly.
- Optional step: Brush the top with olive oil and cut 2-3 small slits on top to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake Until Golden Brown
Transfer the calzones to a lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Let cool slightly and then serve with a side of marinara sauce. Store cooled leftover calzone in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
How to Reheat a Calzone
To reheat a this Italian calzone recipe and keep it crispy and delicious, follow these steps:
Oven Method (Best for Crispy Crust)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the calzone on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crust from over-browning.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, checking halfway through. If you want the crust extra crispy, remove the foil during the last few minutes.
- Once heated through, remove from the oven and enjoy.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees for about 3–5 minutes.
- Place the calzone in the air fryer basket. Make sure it’s not overcrowded and there’s enough space for air circulation.
- Heat for 4–6 minutes, checking halfway through. You can flip the calzone to ensure even heating on both sides.
- Check if it’s heated through—if not, continue heating in 1-2 minute intervals until the center is hot and the crust is crispy.
This method works great because the air fryer crisps up the outside while evenly reheating the inside.
Calzone vs Pizza
A calzone and a pizza both use similar ingredients—like dough, cheese, sauce, and various toppings—but they’re shaped and served very differently.
A pizza is flat and open-faced, typically round, with toppings spread on top of the crust and baked in the oven. It’s sliced and eaten piece by piece, often with a crispy bottom and soft center. Try my authentic Italian Margherita Pizza!
This Italian calzone recipe, on the other hand, is like a folded pizza. The dough is filled (usually with ricotta, mozzarella, meats, or vegetables), then sealed into a half-moon shape and baked. It has a soft, golden crust on the outside and melty filling inside. Calzones are usually served as individual portions and eaten with a knife and fork or sometimes by hand.
In short: pizza is open and shared, calzone is folded and filled—more like a self-contained pocket of cheesy goodness.
Calzone vs Stromboli vs Panzerotti
Stromboli, calzone, and panzerotti are all stuffed Italian-style dough dishes, but they differ in shape, size, and origin. This Italian calzone recipe is a half-moon shaped turnover made with pizza dough and traditionally filled with ricotta, mozzarella, and cured meats. It’s baked and typically served as an individual portion. Calzones come from Naples, Italy, and resemble a folded pizza with sealed edges.
A stromboli, on the other hand, is usually rolled into a log or spiral shape, then baked and sliced. It’s often filled with mozzarella or provolone cheese, Italian meats like salami or pepperoni, and sometimes includes tomato sauce inside or served on the side. Unlike calzones, strombolis originated in the United States and are made for sharing, making them a popular Italian-American dish.
Panzerotti are smaller, handheld turnovers that look like mini calzones but are typically fried instead of baked. Originating in southern Italy, especially Puglia, they’re usually filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella but can have other fillings too. Their crispy, golden exterior and gooey interior make them a favorite street food and snack.
More Italian Recipes
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Italian Calzone Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 cups chopped spinach leaves
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, drained
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position oven rack in center of oven.
- To make the filling, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. Add in the spinach and cook just until the spinach is just wilted. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mixture to a bowl.
- To the bowl, stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Taste for seasonings; set aside.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch circle. Spread about ¼ of the filling onto the bottom half of the dough, leave a ½-inch border. Fold the top half of the dough over the filling and pull the edge of the lower crust over the top, folding and pressing together to seal.
- Transfer the calzones to a lined baking sheet and use a knife to cut 2-3 slits on top. Brush the tops of the calzones with olive oil. Bake in your preheated oven until lightly browned, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve with a side of marinara sauce.
