RECIPE BY Sikumi Chef Gabe Aguillera

Torta Rustica (makes one 9 inch torta, serves 6-8)

• 9 large eggs

• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 5 teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for the cake pan

• 1 10 oz package frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 cups (about 6 ounces) sliced white or cremini mushrooms

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 1 16 oz box all butter puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

• 6 oz domestic mozzarella cheese, grated

• 6 oz sliced ham

• 1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained

In medium bowl, heat 8 of the eggs with 4 teaspoons water and season with salt and pepper.  Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the eggs, and scramble them loosely, stirring with wooden spoon until they’re barely cooked through, about 2 mins.  (They will cook more in the oven.)

Spoon the eggs onto a plate and let them cool.

Place the thawed spinach in a colander and use your hands to press out as much moisture as possible.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the butter and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the sliced mushrooms until tender, 3-4 minutes, seasoning them lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, leaving the excess pastry draped over the sides of the pan. Brush the pastry sheet with the egg mixture.

Layer half the mozzarella cheese, half the ham and half the peppers in the pan.  Spread with half the spinach , the mushrooms and top with the scrambled eggs, trimming to fit, if needed.  Layer the remaining spinach and mushrooms, peppers and ham in the pan.  Top with the remaining mozzarella.

Unfold the remaining pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the remaining pastry sheet into a 10-inch square.  Place the pastry sheet over the filling.  Trim off any excess pastry and discard or save for another use.  Fold the edge of the top pastry over the bottom pastry and press to seal.  Brush the pastry with the egg mixture.

Place the springform pan on a shallow-sided baking pan or wrap the bottom of the pan with a double layer of foil.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Let the torta cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

See Chef Gabe's Bio