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Pesto Sun-Dried Tomato Cheesecake

Recipes excerpted from The Cheesecake bible by George Geary. Published by Robert Rose Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Copyright 2008. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe.

Pesto Sun-Dried Tomato Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

This is a great appetizer when the main course is pasta. Serve as a spread with crackers.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC)
9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, lined with parchment paper.

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves (250 ml)
3-4 sprigs Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (50 ml)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (125 ml)
1/4 tsp salt (1 ml)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (1 ml)
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz/250g each), softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (50 ml)
1/2 cup chopped, drained, oil pack sun-dried tomatoes (125 ml)
      (about 10 halves)

1.  In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse basil, parsley, garlic and olive oil until finely chopped. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in flour, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil mixture by hand.

3. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Tips:
Serve slightly warmed, if desired, to make more spreadable.
To serve as an appetizer, place a thin slice on a lettuce leaf.

Variation:
Substitute coarsely chopped pine nuts for the Parmesan.

 

Ingredients

Pesto in Food Processor

Chopping Tomatoes

Batter Mixed

Baked Cheesecake

Plated Cheesecake

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