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    Home » Appetizers

    Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes

    Jul 16, 2010 · Modified: Jun 25, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes - Andrea Meyers

    Basil: An Herb Lover's Guide, by Thomas Debaggio and Susan Belsinger We are very fortunate to live near DeBaggio’s (closed in 2020), a truly wonderful herb farm and nursery that’s been growing beautiful healthy plants since 1975. One of the ladies in the neighborhood told me about them the first year we lived here, specifically mentioning their wonderful tomatoes, so I made a point to check it out and was amazed at the incredible variety of plants they grow onsite. With only a handful of dedicated workers, they manage to grow nearly 1,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs, perennials, and annuals. The quality of their plants is always top notch because they are knowledgeable and care for the plants so well. In the last few years I’ve been fortunate to have a few casual discussions with Francesco DeBaggio, son of the founder Thomas DeBaggio, about growing rhubarb, rosemary, basil, and bay laurel trees, and our garden always benefits from those discussions.

    Thomas DeBaggio has written some excellent books on herbs as well as his experiences with Alzheimer's, and I keep copies of both the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Basil: An Herb Lover’s Guide in the kitchen for handy reference. The cheese torta recipe (photo above) from Basil is delicious and easy and elegant, a perfect party appetizer, plus it’s a wonderful way to showcase garden fresh basil. Because of my fondness for DeBaggio’s books and their herb farm, I’m giving away two of Thomas DeBaggio’s books on herbs to one lucky reader. The winner will receive one copy of each of the following:

    • Basil: An Herb Lover's Guide
    • The Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance

    To enter the giveaway, tell us about your favorite dish with basil, and please feel free to share links to recipes so everyone can find new ways to cook with basil. Please make sure to put your correct email address in the email address field so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. You don’t need to put your email address in your comment, just in the email address field. Apologies to my international readers, but the books can only be shipped to U.S. and Canadian addresses. The contest closes at 8 P.M. EST on July 23, and Random.org will select the winner. I will contact the winner via email, and the winner must respond within 72 hours, otherwise another winner will be selected. Look for the announcement of the winner in this post soon after.

    [Disclosure: This giveaway is not sponsored by DeBaggio’s Herb Farm & Nursery. I am paying for the prizes myself.]

    UPDATE: Congratulations to Faith Plvan, winner of the books!

    Recipe Notes

    Since we have some gorgeous purple basil this year, I wanted to use the deep purple leaves for the top of the torta, but of course you can use green Genovese, too. I had a limited bowl selection to choose from and found that a deep narrow domed bowl works better than a wide top bowl. If your bowl is very wide and not deep, you may need to increase the ingredients so they will fill up each layer. If served as the only appetizer, then this torta will probably feed about 12 people, but if served on a buffet with other things you can probably estimate up to 24 servings. You can make the torta one day ahead and keep it refrigerated.

    Purple basil in flower - Andrea Meyers

    Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes - Andrea Meyers
    Print Pin

    CHEESE TORTA WITH BASIL, OLIVES, AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES

    Adapted from Basil: An Herb Lover’s Guide, by Thomas DeBaggio and Susan Belsinger.
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: basil, cheese, cream cheese, gluten free, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 115kcal

    Equipment

    • stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer and large bowl
    • 1-quart domed bowl (narrow and deep is better than wide)
    • small bowl
    • cheesecloth

    Ingredients

    • 16 large whole basil leaves
    • 10 ounces goat cheese, softened
    • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • ¼ to ½ cup milk
    • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
    • salt (to taste)
    • black pepper freshly ground (to taste)
    • ½ cup finely chopped basil leaves
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained)
    • ½  cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix the goat cheese and cream cheese, adding enough milk so the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Add 1 clove of the minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
    • In the other bowl, combine the chopped basil with the remaining garlic and all the olive oil to make a thick paste.
    • Line the 1-quart bowl with wet cheesecloth. Arrange 4 large basil leaves face down on the cheesecloth.
    • Carefully spread one-fourth of the cheese mixture over the basil leaves on the cheesecloth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, evenly distributing and spreading them to the edge of the cheese. Press down gently. Spread one-fourth of the cheese over the tomato layer. Spread the basil and garlic mixture over this cheese layer, pressing lightly.
    • Add another one-fourth of the cheese, then cover it with the chopped olives, spreading to the edge and pressing gently. Add the final layer of cheese then finish with a layer of whole, large basil leaves and press gently.
    • Fold the cheesecloth in to cover the torta and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
    • To serve, fold back the cheesecloth and invert it onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the cheesecloth from the top of the torta. Let the torta stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

    Recipe Notes

    If served as the only appetizer, then this torta will probably feed about 12 people, but if served on a buffet with other things you can probably estimate up to 24 servings. You can make the torta one day ahead and keep it refrigerated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

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    Zucchini and Mushroom Pasta with Lemon Basil - Andrea Meyers
    Zucchini and Mushroom Pasta with Lemon Basil

    More Basil Recipes From Other Blogs

    • Ms. Adventures in Italy – Basilcello, Basil Liqueur
    • FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup
    • FarmGirl Fare – Fresh Tomato & Basil Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
    • No Recipes – Basil Watermelon Caipirinha
    « Joe Froggers (New England Molasses Cookies)
    Bananas Foster Gelato »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. momgateway says

      July 16, 2010 at 2:43 am

      Hi Andrea! I enjoy the licorice flavor of basil specially in Thai curry and Vietnamese Beef Soup.

      Here are links to my posts:
      http://momgateway.blogspot.com/2009/04/easy-thai-red-curry.html
      http://momgateway.blogspot.com/2010/06/vietnamese-beef-soup-pho-bo.html

      Ann
      momgateway@gmail.com

      Reply
    2. Faith Plvan says

      July 16, 2010 at 6:58 am

      My favorite basil recipe? Why pesto of course! You just need a handful of basil, couple cloves of garlic, pine nuts, and some parmesan cheese. After chopping that in a food processor, stream in a little olive oil and then add my secret ingredients: a handful of flat leaf parsley and a squirt of fresh lemon juice!

      Reply
    3. Kirsten says

      July 16, 2010 at 7:36 am

      Basil is without a doubt my favorite herb...I've been known to munch on it plain! That said my favorite dish with basil is one of two. The first is my tomato basil sauce and the second is butter fried basil and garlic on pasta. I could eat both dishes all day, every day.
      Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to trying this recipe with a few modifications for my dietary restrictions...Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Alisa - Frugal Foodie says

      July 16, 2010 at 11:08 am

      I haven't yet been adventurous with basil, so I would have to say a dairy-free sunflower seed pesto that I enjoy. Hmm, I really should experiment more!

      Reply
    5. Renee - Beyond Rice and Tofu says

      July 16, 2010 at 2:31 pm

      I make a creamy pesto pasta with a tomato salsa on top. This torte looks good too - I love sun dried tomatoes too.

      Reply
    6. Niveditha says

      July 16, 2010 at 10:23 pm

      Thanks for this giveaway...I love basil in the delicious veggie 'Thai basil eggplant' recipe and the flavor would be just awesome!!! The link for the recipe is 'http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/basileggplant.htm

      ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com

      Reply
    7. Rachel says

      July 17, 2010 at 8:41 am

      It's hard not to say pesto. When I was young, my mum used to make both pasta with pesto and pasta with alfredo sauce in one night and she'd place it carefully into the bowls in a yin yang pattern. THAT was one of my favourite meals. I'm also a pretty big fan of mixing piles of basil with ground lamb and then stuffing patties full of cheese. Finally, I've seen some basil ice creams that I've been dying to try.

      But maybe my very favourite is just sneaking out onto my back porch and munching on the basil leaves plain. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Small Footprints says

      July 17, 2010 at 1:44 pm

      I adore basil ... it's one of the herbs that is a "must" for my little patio garden. One of my favorite ways to use it is in what I call "Simple Spaghetti". We saute a bunch of garlic in some olive oil. Just before the garlic starts to brown, we turn off the heat and toss in cooked pasta. Toss it well to get all the pasta coated with the lovely garlic flavor. Then toss in fresh, chopped basil to your taste ... we like lots of it. We usually serve this with a side salad which we also put chopped basil into. It's a fast and delicious dinner.

      Reply
    9. Tricia says

      July 18, 2010 at 8:55 pm

      Fresh summer basil is one of those things that deserves just to shine on its own, without too much fuss. But I like to make basil sodas with simple syrup. And when I'm eating out, I love Thai stirfries with basil!

      Reply
    10. jacquie says

      July 19, 2010 at 11:56 pm

      tossed in the pan towards the ends of cooking up some fresh summer squash, zucchini & tomatoes. then add some parm on top & serve w/ a crusty bread. not fancy but so good ...

      Reply
    11. Terri says

      July 20, 2010 at 4:10 am

      I LOVE BASIL! I use it so much that I don't know if I can chose just one dish. I guess I would chose homemade pizza with fresh basil, sliced tomatoes and fresh mozz.

      Reply
    12. Tracey says

      July 21, 2010 at 1:28 pm

      Basil is one of my favorite herbs and I'm so sad I didn't get a chance to grow any this year or plant my garden. It's hard to think of just one recipe wiht basil that is my favorite since there are so many different things to do with it and so many different ways to eat it. Hmm well I think infused oils are delicious and a great way to finish off dishes. Basil oils smells and taste great and I love to use it in pasta and salad dishes. This recipe is not mine, I have not posted a recipe for it, but this is how you do it. http://www.napastyle.com/recipe/recipe.jsp?productId=2652

      Reply
    13. Kathryn says

      August 12, 2010 at 12:20 pm

      That looks SO good- I'm obsessed with goat cheese! You should try this recipe- it's a warm goat cheese salad and it's to die for!

      Reply
    14. kristy @ the wicked noodle says

      July 10, 2013 at 3:54 pm

      Gorgeous, Andrea! Pinning!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Tweets that mention Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes and a Giveaway | Andrea Meyers -- Topsy.com says:
      July 16, 2010 at 1:40 am

      [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by James DiStefano and James DiStefano, Andrea Meyers. Andrea Meyers said: {new post} Cheese Torta with Basil, Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes and a Giveaway http://goo.gl/fb/nHsUV [...]

      Reply
    2. 21 Recipes with Basil - Just Us Four says:
      July 23, 2014 at 6:57 am

      […] Cheese Torta with Basil from Andrea’s Recipes […]

      Reply

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