Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte

Layered dips are always a fun thing to serve or bring to a party. The possibilities are endless, and have expanded over the years from your garden variety 7-layer Mexican dip into various cuisines like Asian, Italian and American. But I don’t really consider this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte to be regular layer dip. It is more of an elevated spread that just happens to be layered. I have been making this torte for years, and I mean like, 20 years. It’s just one of those things that I’ve always been proud to serve because I know it will always be a winner. It is so elegant, so robust in its layers of pungent tomatoes and herby, garlicky pesto that it makes everyone swoon. A good friend recently said that he wanted a “gallon” of it for his birthday!

What is a Torte?

So what is a torte anyway? The term torte is typically used to describe a dense, layered dish that is almost always sweet. So, a torte is a layered dessert. But when I first tried this spread all of those years ago at a friend’s parents’ home, they referred to it as a torte. So, although I may have adapted the recipe over the years, I have always kept the name out of respect to the people who shared it with me in the first place. So when I’m describing this dish, I say it is a savory torte.

What’s in this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte?

And what makes this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte so special? Well, it’s all about the layers. Each layer imparts its own flavor profile and they all marry together beautifully. And yes, it takes some time to put together, but that’s true for anything that’s special, right?

Each layer is individually whipped in the food processor until airy and fluffy. Each layer contains cream cheese which helps with the whipped, creamy consistency. The cream cheese layer is nothing more than cream cheese and butter.

The sun-dried tomato layer is made rich by the tomato paste and tangy by the tomatoes. And I don’t know about you, but I could eat sun-dried tomatoes every day. It’s just one of those flavors that makes everything better. If this torte consisted solely of the sun-dried tomato layer, it would still be fabulous. There are actually very few flavors that I love more than sun-dried tomatoes, and one of them is pesto.

The Magic of Pesto

So the addition of the pesto layer just makes this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte a truly unforgettable dish. I can’t think of anything that goes better together than sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. They’re like the peanut butter and jelly of Italian cooking. I stockpile homemade pesto sauce in the freezer every summer from the bounty of fresh basil in our garden. There’s usually enough to last us all the way through to the next growing season. We use pesto sauce on everything from meatballs and fish to pasta and vegetables. In this torte, pesto is made light and fluffy when whipped together with cream cheese. It’s another layer of this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte that would be incredible all by itself, and only made better when layered with the other flavors.

How to serve this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte

This torte can be used to spread on crackers or even as a sandwich spread. If you have any left over, try stirring a few spoonfuls into hot pasta – heaven! But my favorite way to eat this Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte is spread over slices of crusty baguette while sipping a glass of chilled, medium-bodied Pinot Noir. However you choose to enjoy it, I know that it will become the special dish to you and your guests that it is to us. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the last, lingering days of summer. Enjoy!

Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Torte

An elegant Italian spread with creamy layers of tangy tomatoes, garlicky basil pesto & whipped cream cheese

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 0 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings 1 torte

Ingredients

  

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• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 2/3 cups cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

Instructions

 

Make the Pesto Layer:

• In a food processor, combine the garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup of cream cheese and blend well. Transfer to a bowl.

Make the Sun-dried Tomato Layer:

• Wash the food processor. Coarsely chop the tomatoes in the food processor. Add the tomato paste and blend smooth. Then add 1/3 cup cream cheese and blend well.

Make The Cream Cheese Layer:

• Wash the food processor. Combine 2 cups of cream cheese and the butter until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a shallow glass bowl or baking dish, spread the sun-dried tomato layer evenly and press down slightly. Smooth the cream cheese layer over top. Finish with the pesto layer. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with additional pine nuts and basil leaves. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Keyword appetizers, gluten free

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