Pesto Cheesecake
Makes one 10-inch cake/Serves 8 to 12
This personal original recipe goes back twenty plus years, but is still a family and customer favorite. It’s inexpensive to make and a great buffet item that looks good, tastes good, and holds up well. It can be made in advance and refrigerated for a week.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoon love oil
1 small diced white onion (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
4 ½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup prepared basil pesto
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups shredded fontina cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-inch springform cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, gently mix the cream cheese, pesto, eggs, lemon juice, flour, and salt until smooth. Gradually fold in the fontina cheese and the onion mixture, and mix until blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a metal spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until slightly golden on top and set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before loosely covering and placing in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
To serve: To add some pizzazz to your cake, decorate it with sliced seedless red or green grapes, chopped and seeded plum tomato confetti, fresh chopped herbs, or any other colorful vegetable. Leave the cake whole and serve on a cake stand or decorative plate. This makes a great accompaniment to sliced baguettes, crackers, or flatbread. Serve at room temperature.
