The Vegetable Torta: Two Versions with Spinach

A torta can take a vegetable dish well on the way to being a complete meal. The two examples given here are both made with spinach and rice and would appear to be quite similar. Yet they illustrate what small adjustments need to be made in the torta method to achieve substantial differences in result.

The first torta starts with a flavor base of diced tomatoes sautéed in butter, pancetta and garlic to which one adds the spinach raw. After a few minutes’ cooking, one puts in the rice, which is cooked like a risotto until it is partly done. When cool, the rice, spinach, and tomatoes are mixed with egg, Parmesan, and nutmeg, and the torta is ready for baking.