Basil Cheese Torta With Red Bell Pepper Strips And Pine Nuts Recipe
- 1/2 lb Cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp. Butter, softened
- 3/4 c. Basil pesto
- 1/2 lb Provolone, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. Toasted pine nuts
- 1 x Red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3" x 3/8" strips
- 1 sm Jar sun-dry tomatoes (packed in extra virgin olive oil) Fresh basil for garnish
- Mix cream cheese and butter with a fork; add in pesto and mix well.
- Line a small (3-c.) loaf pan or possibly bowl with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang on each side.
- Make a thin layer of provolone slices on the bottom and partially up the sides.
- Spread 1/3 of the pesto mix over the cheese; artistically arrange 2 or possibly 3 sun-dry tomatoes, 4-6 bell pepper strips, and about 1 Tbsp.
- toasted pine nuts over the pesto.
- Repeat layers till all ingredients are used (reserving some of the pine nuts to sprinkle on top), pressing down well between layers.
- Refrigerateovernight or possibly for several days.
- Serve at room temperature on a platter wreathed with fresh basil sprigs.
- Additional toasted pine nuts, sun-dry tomatoes cut into flowers, red bell pepper strips, and fresh basil sprigs may be used as garnish.
- NOTE: Torta may be presented inverted or possibly not.
- Keeps several weeks refrigerated.
- Although best served at room temperature, it slices best chilled.
- I like to serve it on a platter adorned with grape leaves and small clusters of red and white grapes.
- VARIATIONS: = = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Use lemon pesto; substitute slivered toasted almonds for the pine nuts; omit the sun-dry tomatoes and add in 1 tsp.
- lemon zest to the cream cheese mix.
- Use purple pesto; omit the red pepper if you like and increase the sun-dry tomatoes.
- Use cinnamon basil pesto; omit the sun-dry tomatoes and the red peppers if you like, and use pecans instead of pine nuts.
- by Lucinda Hutson
cream cheese, butter, basil pesto, provolone, nuts, red bell pepper, tomatoes
Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/basil-cheese-torta-with-red-bell-pepper-strips-and-pine-nuts-80087 (may not work)