Pesto Avocado Torta

Pesto Avocado Torta

Ingredients:
Pesto:
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic, crushed

Torta:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups butter, softened
2 avocados
French bread

Directions:
1. For the pesto, blend all the pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with foil. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
3. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Spread the pesto over it, then spread another 1 cup cream cheese mixture over the pesto.
4. Halve, seed and peel the avocados. Cut each half into 8 slices without pulling apart. Lay the sliced halves on the cream cheese layer and top with the remaining cream cheese mixture.
5. Cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
6. Thirty minutes before serving, lift the torta from the pan and remove the foil. Serve with large slices of French bread.