Layered Vegetable Torte

Getting this vegetable torte right takes a little time. You really must grill (or pan-grill) or roast all the vegetables well — they have to become quite tender — before assembling the torte. Ultimately, you want the vegetables to almost melt together. Grilling is the technique of choice because it gives the vegetables a hint of smokiness.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
• Salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    412 calories; 30 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 314 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 to 6 servings

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
2. Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
3. Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

30 minutes