Cheese, Pesto And Sun-dried Tomato Torta

Total Time: 7 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 4 -6 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/3 cup walnuts or 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese or 3 (8 ounce) packages neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (or the same amount of reconstituted dried tomatoes)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Recipe

• 1 finely chop garlic cloves in food processor; add basil, nuts, oil and lemon juice; process until well blended; add 1/3c cream cheese, all of parmesan cheese, and pulse until just blended; turn into a medium bowl and set aside.
• 2 coarsely chop tomatoes in food processor; add tomato paste and blend until mixture is almost smooth; add 1/3c cream cheese and blend well; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• 3 in a large bowl, mix remaining softened cream cheese and butter until fluffy; season with salt and pepper.
• 4 spray 6c straight sided dish (such as a souffle dish or springform pan) with non-stick pan spray, line with plastic wrap (i line pan with at least two layers of it) allowing wrap to drape over the sides.
• 5 without worrying about keeping the layers perfect, spread 3/4c cream cheese/butter mixture evenly over prepared dish with a spoon dipped in hot water; top with half of the tomato mixture, then 1/2c of cream cheese mixture, then half the pesto mixture.
• 6 repeat layering with 1/2c cream cheese mixture, remaining tomato mixture, 1/2c cream cheese mixture, remaining pesto, then remaining cream cheese mixture; cover and chill 6hrs or overnight.
• 7 invert torta onto serving platter, carefully peel away plastic wrap, and serve.