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Baked Layered Italian Spread

A baked layered spread of cheeses, pesto, olives, artichokes, and optional ham, served hot with dippers.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Cream cheese and mozzarella cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 137 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Baked Layered Italian Spread

Oven350°F
Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the base

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Parmesan, and Asiago; spread into the bottom of a 9‑inch deep‑dish pie dish.

  3. Mix together the pesto and roasted garlic; spread in a layer over the cheeses on the dish.

  4. Spread the shredded mozzarella over the pesto layer, then sprinkle with the roasted red pepper.

Add the toppings

  1. Mix together the Parma ham or prosciutto and the cooked white beans; set aside.

  2. Divide the contents of the dish into three equal “pie slice” shaped sections, then arrange the olives over one section, the artichoke hearts over another, and the Parma‑ham‑bean mixture over the third.

  3. Sprinkle the entire dish with the onion and parsley, then bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve

  1. Remove from oven and serve hot with dippers such as endive leaves or thin slices of toasted Italian bread.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

768Calories
58 gProtein
48 gFat
30 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 13 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pork100g cooked242
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Artichoke1 medium (128g)60
Red Onion1 medium (110g)44
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Olive1 large (4g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Saucenot in our table0
Beannot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cream cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together137 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Parmesan cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,093 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  3. Cream cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together311 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together421 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  5. Parmesan cheese + cheesetop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,041 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese
Provides a creamy, spreadable base that melts smoothly into the dip.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts and stretches when baked, giving the spread a gooey, bubbly top.
Parmesan and asiago cheese
Add salty, savoury flavour and firmness as they bake.
Pesto sauce
Adds herby, garlicky aroma and oily richness to the layer.
Cooked small white beans
Add body and mild, creamy bulk to the topping.
Roasted red peppers
Add sweetness and moisture that balances the salty cheeses.

The step that matters

Baking until bubbly. Baking until the cheese melts and bubbles fully ensures the layers meld and the dip is heated through, while overbaking can make the cheese oily and tough.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cheese, sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepper, ham):

  1. Basilfits about as well
  2. Garlicthe original
  3. Capersfits about as well
  4. Celeryfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cheese, sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepper, ham. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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