Italian Torta With Mascarpone Gorgonzola And Walnuts Recipes

LITTLE ONION TARTS WITH GORGONZOLA AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Make the pastry: Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add half the butter and work it into the flour until it resembles damp sand. Add the rest of the butter cubes, the ice water and lemon juice and mix just until the dough comes together. (There will be little chunks of butter in the dough - this makes the pastry flaky.) Form dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic and flatten to a 1-inch thickness. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to a day in advance.
• Make the topping: Put olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring. Season generously with salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium and cook until onions are soft and well browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roll out pastry to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out 2-inch rounds and move them to a plate. Once you've filled the plate, transfer to the refrigerator. Reroll the scraps and continue to cut rounds, chilling as you go. You should have 24 pieces.
• Line 2 baking pans with parchment and lay 12 pastry rounds on each. Put about 1 tablespoon of the caramelized onions on each round, followed by a piece of Gorgonzola. Top each with walnut pieces. Sprinkle with a small pinch of chopped rosemary.
• Transfer to oven; bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle each tart with chives, and a speck of fleur de sel, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CROSTATA WITH APPLES, WALNUTS AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• For the crust: In a food processor combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Add the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disc, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, walnuts, and Gorgonzola.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the inside of a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet and place on a work surface. Place the chilled dough on the parchment paper. Roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Lift the parchment paper and transfer to the baking sheet. Spoon the apple filling into the center of the dough. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edge of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

GORGONZOLA PASTA WITH WALNUTS

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat., Drain spaghetti; add to the skillet. Stir in the cheese, vinegar and salt. Sprinkle with walnuts.

ITALIAN TORTA WITH MASCARPONE, GORGONZOLA, AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.
• Put Gorgonzola cubes into a dish and cover with brandy. Set aside to let the cheese soften.
• Chop about 1/2 of the walnuts.
• Whisk the Gorgonzola mixture with mascarpone cheese. Add whipping cream and whip until creamy and well combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan using a runner scraper to level the top.
• Refrigerate torta for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• Use the plastic wrap to remove the torta from the loaf pan. Carefully flip it onto a rectangular serving plate. Garnish with remaining walnut halves.