Spinach Torta Recipes

SPINACH TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400°F.
• Heat oil in skillet large enough to hold spinach.
• Saute garlic and onion in skillet over medium heat until golden.
• Add spinach to pan and stir over medium heat until spinach is reduced and cooked.
• Drain in colander.
• Meanwhile, beat eggs until frothy.
• Add to spinach mixture. crush dill between fingers and add to spinach and egg mixture. Cool.
• In a small saucepan,melt butter.
• Prepare Phyllo as per directions on box (defrost 8 hours at room temperature before use). Separate three sheets of Phyllo dough and place on counter.Using a pastry brush,sparingly coat top layer with butter.
• Sprinkle with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.Separate three more sheets of Phyllo on top of the first layer.
• Again, lightly brush with melted butter.Sprinkle with bread crumbs.Continue six times, or until you have counted a total of 18 layers of Phyllo.
• Evenly spread out spinach mixture onto the top.
• Starting with the long end, roll up as a jelly roll, keeping it as tight as you can.
• Place on buttered baking sheet seam side down.
• Bake immediately in oven 25 minutes.
• To serve, slice in one inch interval diagonally.

SPINACH AND CHEESE TORTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Spray a 9-in round cake pan with cooking spray.
• Put the spinach in a large microwavable bowl; cover with plastic wrap and prick several holes in the plastic.
• Microwave on high until the spinach starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Let stand until the spinach wilts completely, about 5 minutes.
• Uncover and let cool.
• Squeeze the spinach to remove the excess liquid; chop coarsely.
• Meanwhile, put the eggs, egg white, cheese, milk, cilantro or parsley (if using), salt, and ground pepper in a bowl, beating with a whisk to combine.
• To assemble the torta, place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Layer with half the spinach, 1 tortilla, then the roasted peppers.
• Top with 1 tortilla and the remaining spinach and tortilla. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until firm.
• Remove the torta from the oven and increase the heat to broil.
• Broil 5 inches from heat until just browned on the top, about 1 minute.
• Let stand 5 minutes before inverting the torta on a cutting board and slicing into 4 wedges.

SPINACH TORTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• To prepare the torta dough, sprinkle yeast over warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Add honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in salt and 1/2 cup flour. Beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Beat in butter, one tablespoon at a time.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place till doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make filling while the dough rises. To make the filling, saute onion in olive oil till soft and lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook for less than a minute. Mix in spinach and remove from heat.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolk. Mix in ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add spinach mixture.
• Punch down risen dough. Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. On a floured surface, roll larger piece into an 8-inch circle. Fit into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.
• Spread evenly with filling. Roll the rest of the dough into a 9-inch square.
• Cut the square into 9 or 10 strips. Weave strips over the top of the filling to make a lattice pattern. Tuck the ends of the dough down around the filling.
• Preheat oven to 375º. Let torta rise for 15-20 minutes till dough puffs up slightly. Brush top of the dough with an egg beaten with water. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, till browned. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove rim. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAMY SPINACH TORTA IN A POTATO CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Peel the potatoes. Slice two of them crosswise into rounds about 1/8-inch thick. Slice the third potato lengthwise into rounds about 1/8-inch thick. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared pan and spray with additional cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy, turning the slices once during baking time. While the potatoes are baking, mix the spinach with the cream cheese, eggs, parsley, dill, feta cheese and lemon peel. Season with black pepper to taste.
• Remove the potatoes from oven and place the round slices, overlapping them, on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the long slices along the sides. Spoon the spinach mixture into the pan.
• Bake the torta for 40 minutes or until the top feels firm and set. Remove the pan from the oven. Release the spring and carefully remove the side of the pan. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

SPINACH-CHEESE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Crush 20 crackers; mix with butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Stand remaining whole crackers around inside edge of pan.
• Beat cream cheese and sour cream in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into crust.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until top is puffed and center is set. Cool slightly. Refrigerate leftovers.

SAUSAGE, ROASTED RED PEPPER, AND SPINACH TORTA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Place 8 baguette slices in bottom of dish; press 2 baguette slices onto each side. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add spinach; toss until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to strainer; cool. Squeeze spinach dry. Transfer to medium bowl.
• Heat same pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Sauté until cooked through, breaking up, about 7 minutes. Mix into spinach; mix in 1 cup cheese and peppers. Spread atop baguette slices in bottom of dish. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend.
• Whisk in last 4 ingredients. Pour over spinach mixture and stir lightly with fork to distribute evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over. Bake torta until puffed and golden and center is set, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

TORTA RUSTICA WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Alternatively, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add butter, working the pieces into the flour with your hands, squeezing and pinching them until the mixture looks like oatmeal.
• Add egg, egg white and lemon zest, and pulse after each addition. If working by hand, whisk together egg, egg white and lemon zest in a separate bowl, then mix into the butter mixture. Slowly add iced wine, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse or mix by hand until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather and press it into a ball. Divide into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other, and shape into disks. Wrap the disks tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make the filling: If your ricotta seems watery, put it in a sieve and let it drain while you cook the spinach.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and a large pinch of salt, and continue to cook until spinach is very dry, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. If any liquid accumulates as the spinach sits, pour it out of the bowl (you don't want it to water down the ricotta).
• In a food processor, purée drained ricotta and eggs until just combined and smooth. Add to the bowl with the spinach and fold in mozzarella, pecorino, ham (if using), parsley, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, red-pepper flakes and nutmeg. Set aside when rolling out dough (or chill for up to 4 hours).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pastry dough disk to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan. Scrape filling into crust and spread evenly. Roll out second pastry disk to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips and weave into a lattice on top of the filling. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Brush the top of the torta with the egg wash.
• Place torta on sheet pan and bake until crust is crisp and brown, and filling is firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before serving.

MUSHROOM, SPINACH AND CHEESE TORTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Saute onion and garlic in oil in large saucepan until onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and spinach and continue cooking until mushrooms have released their juices and spinach has wilted. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
• Beat eggs slightly in large bowl. Add ricotta and parmesan, sour cream, bread crumbs and parsley to eggs. Drain excess liquid from vegetables, then add to cheese mixture. Stir until well blended.
• Brush some of melted butter on large baking sheet. Count out 6 phyllo leaves and carefully lift them up and lay flat on buttered baking sheet.
• Spread filling over middle of leaves, leaving a 3 inch border all around. Brush edges with butter.
• On top of the filling, lay down 2 leaves of phyllo at a time, brushing top leaf with butter each time. After 4 pairs, fold corners of all phyllo leaves up over filling, and brush with butter.
• Lay down 2 more pairs of leaves, buttering top leaf of each pair. Tuck edges under torta, corners first, then sides. Sprinkle top with sesame or poppy seeds.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until filling is set and phyllo is crisp and golden. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.

SAUSAGE WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE TORTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Grease or spray 9-inch springform pan. In medium bowl, mash beans with potato masher until almost smooth. Stir in Bisquick mix and dressing. Spread mixture in bottom and up sides of springform pan.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 7 to 9 minutes or until no longer pink; drain. Remove from heat, and stir in spinach, tomatoes, oregano and 1 cup of the cheese; mix well. Spoon mixture over prebaked crust.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk and cream with whisk until light. Pour over sausage mixture.
• Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown, center is firm, and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Loosen edge of torta from side of pan; remove side of pan. Cut into 6 wedges.

ITALIAN SPINACH AND RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Place spinach in a skillet over medium heat and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and add onion. Cook until onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Stir ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 whole eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the cooled spinach mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish.
• Unwrap the phyllo dough. Keep covered with a damp cloth to prevent phyllo sheets from drying out.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo over the buttered dish flush with the edge so that excess phyllo hangs over on only one side of the dish. Brush lightly with melted butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo at a slight angle to the first one. Continue in this manner, with up to 12 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter and working clockwise to lay each at a slight angle to the previous sheet.
• Spoon cheese and spinach mixture evenly into the phyllo-lined dish. Using the back of a spoon, make six indentations in the filling, then carefully place 1 egg yolk in each. Season each yolk with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of melted butter.
• Take the extra phyllo dough hanging over the edges of the dish and fold it over to the centre to cover the filling, 1 sheet of phyllo at a time, brushing each one with butter. Brush the top of the whole pie with butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the phyllo pastry is a dark golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm.