Preparation:
1. Thaw puff pastry at room temperature for about 20 minutes. It should be cold when it is worked.
2. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic; and saute until tender. In a large bowl, stir together onion-garlic mixture, spinach, ricotta cheese, and eggs. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425ΓΈ. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
4. On a very lightly floured board, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle about 11-by-13 inches. Fold corners over to make a square (11-inch) and cut off excess with a sharp knife, reserving scraps. Place square of dough in bottom of springform pan so it comes up the sides at least 1 inch. The corners will overlap the rim of the pan. Brush with melted butter. Roll the second sheet of pastry into an 11-by13-inch rectangle and again cut an 11-inch square; set square aside for the top of the torta. Use scraps to fill in empty sides of the pan. The dough should overlap pan at least 1/2 inch all the way around. Brush well with melted butter.
5. Divide artichokes, ham, cheese, red peppers, and spinach mixture into 2 equal parts. Layer ham in bottom of pan so that it completely covers it. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Layer cheese in same manner as ham. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Add layer of red peppers and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Press half of spinach mixture on top of pepper layer. Press half of artichoke hearts into spinach and top with remaining spinach mixture. Layer ham, crumbs, cheese, crumbs, red peppers, and crumbs as before.
6. Brush egg all around edge of pastry. Place square of dough on top of torta. With kitchen shears, cut off all but about 1/2 inch of the excess dough. Brush more beaten egg around edge of circle. Pinch edges together and roll under (toward the middle of torta). Brush entire top with beaten egg. Prick top of pastry twice in center.
7. Bake for about 1 hour, or until top is fairly dark brown. Remove from oven and press down very lightly on top to release excess air. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing. Serve plain, with seasoned tomato sauce, or with marinara sauce. |
