Italian Vegetable Torte Recipes

ITALIAN BRUNCH TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Unroll 1 tube of crescent dough and separate into triangles. Press onto bottom of prepared pan to form a crust, sealing seams well. Bake until set, 10-15 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Drain on several layers of paper towels, blotting well. In a large bowl, whisk 6 eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and pepper., Layer crust with half of each of the following: ham, salami, provolone cheese, red peppers and spinach mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over top. Repeat layers; top with remaining egg mixture., On a work surface, unroll and separate remaining crescent dough into triangles. Press together to form a circle and seal seams; place over filling. Whisk remaining egg; brush over dough., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 1 to 1-1/4 hours, covering loosely with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning. Carefully loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove rim from pan. Let stand 20 minutes.

LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
• Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
• Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.
• In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables.
• Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.
• Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.
• Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• In a mixer, or in a food processor, add the flour and rock salt. Begin mixing and add the oil, then slowly add the water until the dough just comes together.
• Knead the dough with your hands for 10 minutes; it will be quite tough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Sweat onion and garlic in a pan with a little olive oil.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Slice the eggplant into .5 in rounds and slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.
• Grill vegetables on a high heat on a barbecue, griddle or in a frying pan.
• Add sugar and vinegar to the tomato sauce and simmer until thick.
• Add the anchovies.
• Take ½ of the dough and roll out to a thickness of approximately 0.2mm.
• The dough will spring back so just keep working it until you get a large circle (approximately 15 inches).
• Place on greaseproof paper onto a baking tray.
• Layer the filling in the center of the dough, leaving approximately 2 inches around the edge for sealing.
• Layer in the order of eggplant, zucchini, prosciutto, tomato sauce, basil leaves, and parmesan.
• Repeat, and finish with a layer of eggplant.
• Roll the remaining dough out to a similar size and lay over the filling.
• Crimp and fold the edges to seal the torta (you can trim the edges a little if you have too much dough), and prick the top a few times with the point of a sharp knife.
• Brush the torta with egg wash.
• Bake at 340ºF for 30-40 minutes.
• Cut into wedges and serve with a green salad.

ITALIAN VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Rub an 8" springform pan with butter and dust with about 1 Tbs of the Parmesan cheese.
• Remove the woody ends of the asparagus (hold each spear at both ends and bend it gently- it will snap at its natural breaking point).
• Peel off the outer layer of the stems.
• Then cut the asparagus into 1" segments.
• Cook the asparagus stems for 2 minutes in a saucepan of simmering water; then add the tips and cook for 1 minute.
• Drain the asparagus and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil to medium-low in a 10" frypan and cook the onion until soft.
• Increase the heat to medium and add the zucchini.
• Cook until the zucchini is soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally.
• Then add the garlic and cook for more 1 minute.
• Finally, add the spinach, mix it in, and cook until it is just wilted.
• Take the frypan off the heat, add the asparagus and the basil, mix in, and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Set aside to cool.
• Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Add the cheese and egg mixture to the cooled vegetables.
• Mix well and taste for seasoning.
• Grind some sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Spoon the mixture into the springform pan and scatter with the remaining Parmesan over the top.
• Place in the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips, and cook for 30 minutes.
• The top should be light golden brown and the mixture still slightly wobbly in the center.
• Let the torte cool for 30 minutes.
• Then put it in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, until the torte has set.
• Serve with a leaf salad.