Click to Print This Page (top banner and side navigation will not print)
I have made this tart in advance and frozen it. It is not quite as good as it is fresh, but it's still mighty tasty.
for the dough:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg, lightly beaten
for the filling:
4 medium red peppers or 1 16-ounce jar of roasted red peppers
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and large stems removed
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup parmesan
2 talespoons unsalted butter
1 pound crimini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 pound Fontina cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
First, make the dough. Whisk together the flour and salt. Work the butter in with your fingers until it ranges in size between large grains of sand and small pebbles. Add the white wine and egg and mix until it forms a dough. If you need more liquid, add a splash more wine to get it to hold together. Roll the dough into a ball and cut it into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten the balls into discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, make the filling. I have found that using pre-roasted peppers saves a lot of time and the dish still tastes fabulous. If you want to roast the peppers yourself, put them on a baking sheet and roast them in the broiler until they are blackened. Let them cool to room temperature and slip off the skins. Cut them open and remove the seeds. Whether you roast your own peppers or buy them pre-roasted, cut them into long, thin strips. Set aside.
Make sure to wash the spinach thoroughly so you don't get any bits of grit in the torta. While the spinach is still wet, put it in a large pot and cover it. Over medium heat, cook it until it wilts completely, about 7 minutes. Remove it from the pot and drain it in a colander. When the spinach is cool enough to touch, squeeze out as much water as you can and roughly chop it. Put it in a medium-sized bowl and mix in the cream and parmesan. Add salt pepper and taste. Add more if necessary. Set aside.
Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook it for a minute or so, just until it turns golden. Add the mushrooms and cook them until the water is gone and they are lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
When the dough has chilled, roll out the larger piece on a piece of plastic wrap. Drape the dough over a rolling pin and slide it into a 9-inch pie plate. Layer the filling on top of the dough in the following order: first the mushrooms, then the spinach mixture, then the red peppers and, finally, the grated fontina. Roll out the smaller piece of dough and cover the pie with it. Trim the edges, leaving enough dough so that the top piece can fold under the bottom one. Crimp the edges of the crust and cut a few small slits in the top. Brush the top crust with the egg. If you would like to make a decorative topping, re-roll the scraps and use a cookie cutter to cut out the shape of your choice. Add it to the top of the torta and brush it with egg.
Bake the torta until it is beautifully browned, 45 to 55 minutes. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving.