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Torta Di Pasta

The literal translation of torta di pasta is “cake made of pasta.” What I particularly love about this recipe is that it makes for great finger food: All the ingredients bind together and can be cut up into easy little servings, and it can be served at room temperature. You probably won’t want to tell your guests that you’re serving them leftovers, and they’ll never know the difference.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 appetizer servings or 4 main-course servings

Ingredients

Salt
8 ounces dried spaghetti, or leftover cooked pasta
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
4 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using dried pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with the sun-dried tomatoes, then set aside to cool.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper to blend. Add the egg mixture to the cooled spaghetti mixture, and toss to coat.

    Step 3

    Preheat the broiler. In a 9 1/2-inch-diameter ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let the torta cool in the skillet to room temperature, then invert it onto a platter. Cut the torta into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
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