Pesto Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Recipe

• 1 for pesto: use ½ cup commercial or homemade pesto sauce.
• 2 for cheesecake: preheat oven to 325 degrees. rub butter over bottom and sides of 9-inch spring form pan. mix breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons parmesan and coat pan with the crumb mixture.
• 3 using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan, salt and cayenne in a large bowl until light. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. transfer half of mixture to medium bowl.
• 4 mix pesto into remaining half. pour pesto mixture into prepared pan; smooth top. carefully spoon plain mixture over; gently smooth top.
• 5 sprinkle with 1/4 cup pine nuts and bake until center no longer moves when pan is shaken, about 45 minutes.
• 6 transfer to rack and cool completely. cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.