Ingredients:

• 1 kg – spinach, trimmed
• 600 g – ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup (50 g) – pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp – Cream
• 200 g – fresh Egg noodles
• 1/4 cup (75 g) – plain flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup (250 ml) – Milk
• 2 medium (400 g) – red Capsicums
• 2 Cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) – Olive oil
• 1 large (200 g) – onion, chopped
• 2 x 400 g cans – Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup – firmly packed chopped fresh Basil leaves

Method:

1. Boil, steam or microwave spinach until just wilted; drain.
2. Rinse under cold water; drain.
3. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from spinach; chop finely.
4. Combine spinach with cheese, nuts and cream in large bowl.
5. Cook noodles in large pan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender; drain.
6. Rinse under cold water; drain. Chop noodles coarsely.
7. Sift flour into large bowl; gradually stir in combined eggs and milk, beat until smooth. Stir in noodles.
8. Pour a quarter of the noodle mixture into a large heated oiled pan, spread to 20 cm circle.
9. Cook until browned lightly on both sides. Repeat with remaining mixture.
10. Place 1 pancake into deep 20 cm-round cake pan, spread over a third of the spinach mixture; top with another pancake.
11. Repeat layering with remaining pancakes and spinach mixture, finished with a pancake.
12. Bake covered in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
13. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato and capsicum sauce.
14. Quarter capsicums; remove and discard seeds and membranes. Roast capsicum and garlic with 2 tbsp of the oil in a small baking dish, uncovered, in moderately hot oven 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
15. Cover capsicum with plastic or paper; stand 5 minutes, peel skin.
16. Squeeze pulp from unpeeled garlic into small bowl.
17. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan; cook onion, stirring, until soft.
18. Add undrained crushed tomatoes, bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Blend or process tomato mixture with capsicum, garlic pulp and basil until almost smooth.
19. Cut the torte into wedges and serve with warmed tomato and capsicum sauce.