Description
A recipe for Sausage Pesto Torte

Ingredients

• 1 package Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean
  
• Pork Sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
  
• 1 refrigerated pie crust
  
• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained well and finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
  
• Thin tomato wedges or roasted red pepper strips (optional)
  
• Fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves (optional)

Preparation
Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. If using a silver pan, preheat oven to 325°F. If using a dark nonstick pan, preheat to 300°F. Insert rim of pan; press crust gently onto bottom of pan and trim edges to fit. Bake crust 5 minutes; set aside to cool.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and salt with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended. In separate bowl, combine cooked sausage and sun-dried tomatoes with 2 cups of cheese mixture; stir well. Spread sausage mixture evenly over crust; top with remaining cheese mixture. Spoon rounded teaspoons of pesto randomly over batter. Cut through pesto and surface of batter with a knife, using a swirling motion for a marbled effect.

Bake on middle oven rack at 400°F 10 minutes; reduce heat to 200°F and bake 55 to 60 minutes longer, or until center is just set. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing rim of pan from cake; run knife or metal spatula between cake and rim of pan to loosen. Cool another 30 minutes before slicing or refrigerate immediately up to one day in advance of serving time. (To reheat torte, cover loosely with foil; bake in preheated 350°F oven 25 minutes.) Garnish with tomato wedges or roasted red pepper strips and fresh herbs if desired.

Serve warm within 2 hours.

Nutrition
no information available

Serves
Makes 16 servings

Variations
Cook's Tip: To substitute dried sun-dried tomatoes for the oil-packed variety, pour boiling water over 3/4 cup.