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Traditional Italian Crostata Recipe (Italian Jam Tart)
Crostata is one of the most classic Italian homemade desserts. It's a rustic jam tart made with pasta frolla, the traditional Italian sweet shortcrust pastry, and filled with fruit jam.The most traditional version is apricot crostata, often made at home for breakfast, snack time or as a simple dessert after a family meal. The buttery, crumbly crust and the sweet jam filling make it one of those recipes that every Italian family knows and loves.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Frolla:
- 250 g Italian “00” flour - 2 cups
- 100 g granulated sugar - ½ cup
- 120 g cold unsalted butter - about 1 stick, cut into small pieces
- 1 whole medium egg - at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk - at room temperature
- 1 pinch fine salt
- ½ organic lemon zest
For the Filling:
- 300 g apricot jam, or your favorite fruit jam - about 1 cup
Instructions
Make the Pasta Frolla
- Place the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center. Add the sugar, salt, lemon zest, the whole egg and the egg yolk.
- Add the cold butter, cut into small pieces, and quickly work the ingredients with your fingertips. Knead just until the dough comes together into a smooth and compact ball. Do not overwork the dough, or the pasta frolla may become tough instead of crumbly.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can also make pasta frolla the day before and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assemble the Crostata
- Take the chilled pasta frolla from the refrigerator. Cut off about one third of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it back in the refrigerator. You will use this piece to make the edge and the decorative lattice strips.Roll out the remaining two thirds of pasta frolla on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 4 to 5 mm, about ⅙ inch. Work quickly while the dough is still cold.
- Place the rolled pasta frolla in a 22 cm (9-inch) tart pan with removable bottom, previously buttered and floured or lined with parchment paper.Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim any excess dough from the edges.Take the reserved pasta frolla from the refrigerator. Use part of it to make a long roll of dough, about as thick as a finger, and place it around the edge of the crostata.
- Press it gently with your fingers to attach it to the bottom crust. Then decorate the edge with the tines of a fork or with the handle of the fork.Spread the apricot jam over the bottom of the crostata with the back of a spoon.You do not need to prick the bottom with a fork. The jam helps keep the pasta frolla from puffing up too much during baking.
- With the remaining pasta frolla, make the lattice strips. You can roll out the dough and cut it into strips, or make small rolls of dough and gently flatten them with your hands.Arrange the strips over the jam to create the classic lattice pattern, forming diamonds or squares. Press the ends of the strips well onto the edge of the crostata.
- Bake the crostata in a preheated conventional oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the jam is bubbling slightly.Remove the crostata from the oven and let it cool completely before serving. This resting time allows the jam to set and makes the crostata easier to slice.
Notes
- Doses for about 500 g (1.1 pound) of Pasta Frolla for a crostata in a tart pan of about 22 cm (9 inch) in diameter
- The heat of your hands can melt the butter too much and alter the final flavor of the pasta frolla. So BEFORE KNEADING, here 2 useful TIPS: 1) put your hands under cold-ice water then dry them well; 2) use a marble pastry board. It's really important not to heat the pasta frolla dough too much!
- It's not necessary to pierce the bottom of the tart with a fork. The weight of the jam does not allow the cake to swell during cooking.
- You can decorate your crostata in a more original or specific way, for differt occasions. For another type of decoration read the paragraph above "How to Decorate an Italian Crostata".
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 262mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 687IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg
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