Crostata with ricotta and lemon Recipe
Crostata is an Italian tart, often served with afternoon coffee. This version has a delicate shortcrust base and a light, lemony ricotta filling. It’s something between a cheesecake and a tart – ideal when you want a dessert that looks impressive but isn’t overly sweet.
This crostata combines the crispness of Italian shortcrust pastry with a light, lemony ricotta cream that is reminiscent of both cheesecake and tart. It has a distinct citrus note but isn’t overly sweet, which makes it perfect for the Italian habit of having a dessert “with coffee” rather than a heavy cake once a week.
Chef's tips
The butter for the shortcrust pastry should be cold, and after kneading the dough it’s worth chilling it for at least 30 minutes in the fridge so it holds its shape nicely and doesn’t slump down the sides of the tin. It’s a good idea to drain the ricotta in a sieve beforehand so the filling isn’t watery and doesn’t make the base soggy. Bake until the edges are golden and the centre just lightly set – it will firm up a bit more as it cools.
How to serve
Serve at room temperature, lightly dusted with icing sugar, with a cup of espresso or strong stovetop coffee. It’s perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon when someone drops by “just for coffee” and you want to offer something homemade but not too heavy. In summer you can top it with fresh raspberries or blueberries, which will highlight the lemon flavour.
Ingredients
- flour type 450–550 - 250 g
- butter cold, from the fridge - 125 g
- sugar - 80 g
- egg for the dough - 1 piece
- egg yolk for the dough - 1 piece
- ricotta - 500 g
- sugar for the filling - 90 g
- unwaxed lemons zest and juice - 2 piece
- flour - 1.5 tablespoons
- eggs for the filling - 2 piece
- sugar optional - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry: put the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Add the cold butter cut into cubes. Rub it in with your fingers or cut it in with a knife until you get fine crumbs resembling wet sand.
- Add the egg and yolk. Quickly knead the dough into a ball – if it’s very dry, add 1 tablespoon of cold water. Shape into a flattened disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a tart tin about 24 cm in diameter with butter.
- Roll out the chilled dough between two sheets of baking paper into a round slightly larger than the tin. Transfer it to the tin and press it into the base and sides. Trim off any excess dough from the edges. You can use the trimmings to make thin strips for the top.
- Prick the base all over with a fork. Cover with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice and blind-bake for 12 minutes. Then remove the paper and weights and bake for another 5 minutes, until the pastry is lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling: put the ricotta into a bowl, add the sugar, potato starch, zest from 2 lemons and about 3 tablespoons of juice. Add 2 eggs.
- Briefly mix with a mixer or whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Pour the ricotta mixture onto the pre-baked crust. If you have leftover dough, arrange thin strips on top in a lattice pattern.
- Place the tart in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the filling is set and lightly golden around the edges. The centre may wobble slightly when you move the tin, but it shouldn’t be liquid.
- Remove the crostata from the oven and let it cool completely. Before serving, you can dust the top with icing sugar.
Storage
Store the cooled crostata in the fridge, lightly covered, and eat within 2–3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavour.
