Autumn Torte Rustica

I saw this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine and it looked so delicious, I couldn't wait to try it. It took a lot of time to make and just didn't taste as good as I expected. If you like Ricotta cheese, you would probably love this, it was just a little too ricotta-ey for our taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (1 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 eggs
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Romano cheese (I couldn't find Romano alone, so I got a mixture of Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan)
t tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. water
1 small onion chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh)
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed (I could not find, so I used 2 8 ounce packages of crescent rolls)

Directions:

Place squash slices on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine 2 eggs, cheeses, and sage. In a small bowl, whisk the water and remaining egg, set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in the spinach, garlic, and nutmeg. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, set aside.

Unfold on pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 14 inch square. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 in. springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to drape over the edges. Brush with reserved egg mixture. (I made my pastry like a pie crust, circular, it seemed easier than a square.)

Layer with half the squash, cheese mixture, and spinach. Repeat layers. Roll out the remaining pastry into a 10 inch square; place over filling. Trim edges; fold the bottom pastry over the top and press edges to seal. Brush pastry with egg mixture.

Place pan on baking sheet. Back at 400* for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. (Check on it periodically. I baked mine for 40 minutes and it was dark brown, not golden when I removed it.)Remove to wire rack to cool for 45 min. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Servings: 12


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