Description
Layers of cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and pesto make this sun dried tomato and pesto spread perfect for the Holidays!
Ingredients
CHEESE MIXTURE
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces feta cheese
- 1 Tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 Tablespoon white wine
- 1-2 teaspoon olive oil
SPREAD
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) (about 3 ounces)
- 6 ounces pesto
- Basil leaves for garnish (OPTIONAL)
OTHER
- 1 baguette, sliced for serving
- plastic wrap for molding and wrapping spread
Instructions
This spread is made at least 1 day (and up to 3 days) in advance.
- Toast pine nuts in a skillet on medium heat until lightly toasted, 3-4 minutes. Shake pan frequently to help even out the toasting. Watch them constantly as they will go from perfect to burned in just seconds (been there, done that)!
- Remove from pan immediately once toasted so they don’t keep toasting, and let cool.
- Chop the sun dried tomatoes so you have smallish pieces. See notes below for how to reconstitute the tomatoes if they are dried and not 'ready to eat'.
- To a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, feta cheese, minced shallot, crushed garlic, and wine. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended.
- Mix in the olive oil 1 teaspoon at a time until you have a smooth cheese mixture that holds together and isn’t crumbly. You may not use all of the olive oil - it will depend on how dry your feta cheese is. Set aside until ready to assemble.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Select a dish that is 5-7 cups in volume. Smooth plastic wrap all the way up the sides of the dish and drape over the edges (you will wrap the top of the dish after assembly).
- Add 1/3 of the pine nuts in the bottom of the dish.
- Add 1/3 of the cheese mixture and press to cover the bottom of the dish and smooth the top to have a level layer.
- Spread 1/2 of the pesto over the cheese and smooth.
You want each layer to go all the way to the edge of the dish so you get a nice display of the torte when plated. - Sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped reconstituted tomatoes and 1/3 of the pine nuts over the pesto.
- REPEAT. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the previous layer. Smooth the top.
- Add remaining pesto over the cheese and smooth.
- Sprinkle remaining diced reconstituted tomatoes over the pesto.
- Spread remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the pesto and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/3 of the pine nuts over the cheese.
- Fold plastic wrap over the top layer. Gently press down to compact the layers. Make sure it is completely covered.
- Place in the refrigerator overnight.
TO SERVE
- Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the cheese spread. Place your serving plate over the top of the dish and turn upside down. You may have to gently pull on the plastic to get the layered cheese to fall out of the dish onto the plate.
- Carefully lift the dish off the torte and remove plastic wrap from the sides.
- Garnish with a few small leaves of basil and additional pine nuts (Optional).
- Serve with baguette slices.
Notes
Pine Nuts. We toasted our pine nuts in a skillet, but they can also be toasted in the oven. Pace a single layer of pine nuts on a sheet pan and place in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 5-10 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes and WATCH CONSTANTLY after this so they don’t burn.
Sun Dried Tomatoes. It is now possible to purchase already reconstituted sun dried tomatoes in the grocery produce section. These are ready to eat and just need a quick chop so they are small diced pieces. If only dry sun dried tomatoes are available, they will need to be reconstituted. Heat 2 cups water in a medium saucepan until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and submerge the sun dried tomatoes in the hot water. Let soak for 20-25 minutes until soft. Drain the tomatoes, pat dry, and give a rough chop so you have smallish pieces. Oil packed sun dried tomatoes will work in a pinch but we don't recommend them. Make sure they are well drained and pat them dry before using.
Single Use Plastic Wrap! What? I know! We try to NEVER use a single use plastic wrap but have not found anything to replace it in the assembly of this dish. You need to be able to press the torte together, keep it airtight while in the fridge, and still unmold it when ready. Parchment paper and beeswax wrap just don’t work here.
Dish for Mold. Use whatever dish you have and looks right. Adjust the number of layers and amount of each layer to work in the dish, or dishes if using multiple smaller dishes, that are being used.
- Prep Time: 29 minutes
- Inactive Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 baguette slice
- Calories: 99
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 161.4 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 14.4 mg
