Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Torta

The holidays bring houses filled with people. Hungry people. That makes this time of year the perfect time to share this recipe. You can make it the day before, then leave it out for your guests to serve themselves– perfect for entertaining!

A mixture of cream cheese, parmesan, and feta makes up the main body of the torta. Part of the cheese mixture is mixed with spinach and layered in the middle with sun-dried tomatoes. The edges are covered with toasted pine nuts. The whole torta is then topped with basil pesto and a few extra sun-dried tomatoes for garnish. The layers of red, white, and green make it festive for the holidays, but the real beauty is in the flavor. Serve with crackers or crostini– I highly recommend the crostini.

The recipe makes a large 8-inch torta, which is enough to keep a hungry crowd at bay for a while. As we are a family of five, I cut the recipe in half and used a mini spring-form pan from my children’s baking kit. Even though I halved the recipe, we still had some for leftovers. Not wanting to waste, I turned the leftovers into a hearty panini. I will certainly be making the torta again. It does the job as an appetizer. The leftovers go the extra mile in a panini.

Let’s see– basil pesto, roasted chicken breast, pancetta, fresh baby spinach, and a good schmear of the leftover torta. Not sure what to call it other than good stuff!

Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Torta

By Nicole Prep: 20 minsRefrigeration Time: 1 hrTotal: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 20 There are so many flavors, textures, and colors in this delicious torta that will feed a hungry crowd!

Equipment

• 8-inch springform pan
• Hand mixer with flex beaters

Ingredients 

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a micro-plane
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus a few extra for garnish
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought

Instructions 

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, parmesan, feta, and garlic with a hand-held mixer on medium speed. Divide the mixture into thirds. In a separate bowl, combine one-third of the cheese mixture with the spinach; set aside.
2. Line an 8-inch round cake pan or spring-form pan with plastic wrap. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture in the bottom of the pan. Lay half of the sun-dried tomatoes on top. Spread the spinach mixture on top of the tomatoes. Lay the remaining tomatoes on top of the spinach mixture. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Remove plastic wrap on the top. Invert torta onto a serving platter. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Press the pine nuts on the sides to cover. Spread pesto on top and garnish with the extra sun-dried tomato. Serve with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 577mg, Potassium: 294mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1201IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 249mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.