Sausage and Spinach Torta Rustica
Sausage and Spinach Torta Rustica
A delicious brunch recipe that is easy to adapt to your family's favorite ingredients. The perfect make-ahead dish. Adapted from my friend Joan's fabulous recipe and originally from Epicurious.
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz box frozen spinach Thawed
- 1 pound Italian sausage pork or chicken
- 2 cups colby jack cheese shredded or cheese of your choice
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips (optional)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 cup milk I use skim but any milk will work
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper ground
- 1 20 oz bag hash brown potatoes refrigerated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan
- Add the sausage to the pan - remove bulk sausage from the casings if using sausage links
- Cook the sausage, using a wooden spoon to break into small pieces, until it is cooked through and no longer pink
- Place the thawed spinach on a clean dish towel
- Twist the dish towel to drain as much water as possible from the spinach
- Spread the shredded potatoes in a 9x13 pan -I prefer a glass pan like Pyrex, but a metal pan will work too
- Add the sausage, spinach and 1 cup of the cheese to the pan and gently mix together
- Add the roasted red peppers to the pan (if using). See the recipe for roasted red peppers on the blog if you want to make your own.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl or large measuring cup
- Add the half & half, milk, salt and pepper to the eggs and beat with a fork until well blended
- Pour the egg & milk mixture into the baking dish, mix the ingredients together with a fork and spread the remaining cheese on top
- Bake the torta until golden and puffy, about 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- To make the torta ahead, let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate. To reheat, cover with foil and warm in a 325 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.
Notes
For my gluten intolerant readers, be sure to check that the sausage you are using is gluten free.