My first attempt ended in disaster as I knocked the large glass bowl I was using to mold the torte into fell from my kitchen island onto the ceramic tile...there was no rescuing it from the broken glass. I did have enough of the ingredients reserved for a mini-version and was pleased it came out so nicely. I have since just made it again and used paper towels placed on plastic cling wrap in lieu of cheesecloth and it worked fine. I also put it in the freezer for one hour rather than 3 hours in the fridge with an excellent outcome. This is one of those dishes that everyone keeps coming back for more!
This is dynamite! I made a half-batch with only 3 slices of provolone - I thought I had more when I started. I used 4 cloves of roasted garlic for 8 oz. of cream cheese. (That cheese could stand alone as a spread.) I didn't have any cheesecloth but I used a small springform pan that was the exact size of the slice of provolone. I brushed pita bread with oil sprinkled w/ salt and pepper and Italian seaoning lightly toasted and cut into triangles.
I have made this but add chopped black olives and chopped pistachios....it is one of those things you bring to a party that people always ask you for the recipe! Be sure the provolone cheese is not sliced thick...makes it difficult to serve.
This is a fantastic recipe that I have used several times all with great success. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. That is the only reason that I was not going to leave a review. I hate the thought that others will catch on make and serve it and then it won't be quite as special when I make it.
I am giving this a 5 because everyone at the party I brought it to raved about it. I did like it but I eat these ingredients a lot so it wasn't so "new" to me. I used marinated sundried tomatoes because I had them in my cupboard and since I didn't have cheesecloth I dampened coffee filters and lined the pan with them. They worked quite well. I wasn't sure how the provolone top and bottom would work or look and it worked and looked just fine. I did cut the torte in half when I put it on the serving platter so people could see the ingredients and the colors. I thought a cheese spreader would do the trick but decided to put a sharp knife out so people could make nice clean slices. Thanks for the recipe and adding to my stash of "yummy" treats.
This is delicious beautiful and easy. I suggest using half the pesto though because the full 8 oz. would be overpowering I think. Follow the rest of the directions exactly and the end results are phenomenal and just a beautiful presentation. I used a 1 qt. faberware bowl and got a lovely dome with a small diameter which sat very nicely within a ring of crackers. I did use a food processor to chop the sun dried tomatoes. A pie spatula with a serrated edge makes a great serving tool for this. One of my guests was so overwhelmed by this appetizer she didn't want to eat any dinner! and everyone else loved it too. I wouldn' t halve it like others have suggested because you're going to want the leftovers.
Terrific appetizer! Served at a Italian wine tasting and was asked for recipe by all! I would suggest scaling the recipe in half for a group of up to 10.
This is an excellent appetizer with a flavor that belies the amount of time that goes into making it. I used mini spring form pans and made three small tortes. Served with crisp crostini it was absolutely delicious. This would be a great appetizer to serve at an appetizer only party as it is quite filling. I noticed that some people used sun dried tomatoes in oil and I am very glad that I did not. The clean taste of the tomatoes was a great contrast to the oily pesto. I will definitely serve this again.
I made this for the first time for a holiday party - it was a hit - made it again recently for a work party. I substituted goat cheese for the provolone the first time because I had it in the refrigerator and it sounded good the second time because it really was good! I also ground up pine nuts and sprinkled it over the top - YUM!
