Everybody knows how much I love Italy…. The beauty of the country of course, the generosity of its people, the freshness of its ingredients….I always fancy a plate of fresh pasta with a glass of Barolo… Always.
I learnt about crostata while working as a private chef in a family in the south of France. I made it for them and it was a real success. It’s not too sweet, not heavy, lemony, a bit….
It’s a very old dessert and since then, it’s evolved and you can find now endless variations, a bit like Beef Bourguignon in France 🙂
Savoury with meat, fish, vegetables….. And the sweet one with fruits preserves, or filled with jam, or Nutella and a variant with ricotta and lemon in central Italy.
It doesn’t take long and it worth it ! I didn’t even make the lattice as most crostatas have.
Crostata Italiana, for 1 pie
Ingredients :
For the crust :
– 300 g of flour
– 200g of sugar
– 150g salted butter
– 1 egg
– 2 egg yolks
– 1 lemon
For the filling :
– 500g of ricotta cheese
– 250g of mascarpone
– 2g of cinnamon powder
– 1 vanilla pod
– 1 lemon
– 2 egg yolks
– 130g of sugar
– Icing sugar
Method :
For the crust :
In a big bowl, mix flour, sugar, eggs, lemon zests and butter in cubes. Work quickly on the dough with your finger tips, just long enough to mix all the ingredients and get a smooth dough. Make a ball, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for half and hour.
For the filling :
In a bowl mix the ricotta, sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon and lemon zest. Open the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrap the little seeds inside with a knife and add to the ingredients. Whisk and add the mascarpone cheese. You should have a very smooth filling.
Preheat the oven at 170°C/338°F.
With a rolling pin, spread the dough between 2 baking paper leaves and put the pastry in buttered mould. Pour your mix and make it even.
Put it in the oven for 35-40 min till it gets golden and the ricotta mix is not trembling anymore.
When done, let it cool down completely before serving. Spinkle with icing sugar if you want to, et c’est tout !
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