Name: Torta di Formaggio e Funghi
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1¾ cups grated cheese such as Gruyère, Fontina, or grana, or a mixture; 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter; Pinch of salt; About 2 tablespoons ice water; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1½ cups (all-purpose) flour; 6 tablespoons plus ¼ cup unsalted butter; ⅓ cup (all-purpose) flour; 3 cups milk, heated; ½ pound fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced (see note); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 whole eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites; Freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Enoteca

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2001

About

Perfect with wine, the torta di formaggio uses pasta frolla salata, a short pastry, and a besciamella-based filling. At its simplest, it may be prepared with a mixture of grated cheeses, but the Enoiteca Baccus in Bolzano adds sautéed mushrooms for a deeper flavor and earthy perfume. Other versions add cooked spinach in place of the mushrooms.