sun-dried tomato + pesto torta.

Guys…what if I told you I had found the single greatest Christmas appetizer you could ever wish for?

Because I did.

This is a torta. What’s a torta, you ask? Why, many people think of a torta as a cake! And it kind of is…only this is a cake made out of sun-dried tomato, pesto, and cream cheese – okay, and a smidge of butter. Does this sound like your kind of cake? Trust me when I say, this is everyone’s kind of cake.

It’s definitely Santa’s type of a cake. Does it get more festive than these beautiful shades of white, red, and green? It does not, I can assure you. But more importantly – it doesn’t get any more delicious, either.

It claims to serve 20, and my guess is that it serves even more; I brought it to our cookie exchange with over 20 lovely, wine-drinking ladies who were *piling* it onto little garlic toasts, and we still had a ton leftover. A thrilling idea would be to divide this into 2 smaller containers and freeze one for later. Because yes, the idea of having one of these in my freezer ready at a mere few hours of thawing’s notice is thrilling…don’t judge.

Which brings me to how this baby actually comes together… It looks quite impressive, doesn’t it? Ha! It’s all a trick! This is easy-peasy… You take a container, the recipe suggests a soufflé dish but it can really be any container with a similar cup capacity and shape – just think of the shape you want the torta to be in (I used a glass-Pyrex-leftover type of a dish) – and spray the inside with a little nonstick action. Line it in with plastic wrap, and then layer in the, er, layers… Let it sit overnight and voilà! The next day, simply invert onto a plate and tug down on the plastic a little, and it will pop right out. There may be a few wrinkles, which supposedly can be removed using a hot knife, but I didn’t care. They add character, right?

Garnishes I often call optional – but here, the toasted pine nuts are a must. They add that little bit of texture to make things just right. You could also replace some of the cream cheese with goat cheese if that sort of thing appeals to you, as goat cheese would be equally perfect with these flavors. You could also omit the butter if you’re watching your waistline, but it does add that richness that only butter brings to the table…

It’s the holidays! LET.THEM.EAT.BUTTER.

Sun-Dried Tomato + Pesto Torta

Adapted from Bon Appétit

{This needs to sit overnight, so be sure to start a day before you need it}

• 3 – 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/3 cups drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
• Toasted pine nuts, for garnish
• Baguette slices, toasted

Finely chop garlic in processor. Add basil, 1/4 cup pine nuts, oil and lemon juice. Process until well blended. Add 1/2 package of cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Using on/off turns, process just until blended. Transfer pesto to medium bowl.

Coarsely chop tomatoes in processor. Add tomato paste and process until mixture is almost smooth. Add remaining 1/2 package cream cheese and blend well. Using electric mixer, beat 2 remaining packages cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spray 7-cup capacity baking dish with nonstick spray. Line with plastic wrap, extending plastic over sides. Spread 3/4 cup cream cheese-butter mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. (In between layers, place the dish in the refrigerator for 5 minutes or so, just to harden it enough that the next layer goes on nice and smooth.) Top with half of tomato mixture, then 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture, then half of pesto mixture. Repeat layering with 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture, remaining tomato mixture, 1/2 cup cream cheese-butter mixture and remaining pesto. Top with remaining cream cheese-butter mixture. (Note: I ended up ending with a layer of pesto as I’d used more of the cream cheese mixture throughout – however it comes out, it will be gorgeous – so don’t worry!) Cover and chill overnight.

Invert torta onto platter. Peel off plastic. Garnish with basil sprigs and toasted pine nuts. Serve with baguette slices.

Serves 20.

DO-AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.