This is a tart that you will want to make over and over!
The inspiration for this classic Italian treat came from a recent trip to Tuscany. We were staying in a thousand year old village/vineyard that even has a castle! Every morning we would walk down to the little stone house where breakfast was being served. Along with the breads, fruit and savory options, there was a pastry table which always had several crostatas cut into slices. The lovely lady manning the espresso maker and stove top ended up giving me her recipe for the pastry for her crostatas. And then I discovered that she was in fact the owner of the entire vineyard! What a gracious and humble lady.
Crostata Pastry
In Italian, this sweet short crust pastry is called ‘pasta frolla’ or ‘tender dough’. It is a most basic dough made from flour, butter, eggs, sugar and often lemon or orange zest. It can be used for tarts, pies, biscuits etc. The tenderness is such a wonderful quality of this pastry. It melts in your mouth! Once you have made this dough and used it, you will want to use it, and often!
Because butter is a main component of the dough, be prepared, it will be a bit more challenging to work with if you are looking for an easy dough to transport from counter to pan. It does have a tendency to tear, especially if it has gotten a little warm. So if you are trying to fill a tart shell with it, and it breaks, don’t worry. Just patch it up with the pieces, and call it a day, it happens to everyone!! But if you are working with smaller pieces (like the lattice) and you chill the dough a little before going to move and layer them on the tart, you will be fine.
This pastry can be made in a bowl. All you need is two bowls, a whisk, box grater, fork and your hands. The egg and egg yolk add to the richness and colour of the pastry. The pastry also contains a little baking powder. This means that the pastry will puff as it bakes. Which differentiates it from a North American pie crust pastry.
After bringing the ingredients together with a fork, you will use your hands and the counter to bring it together into a smooth mass. Roll into a log, and divide into two pieces, one larger than the other. Press them down into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill till needed. You can make this pasta frolla the day before you need to use it. Just bring to room temperature before rolling. You can also freeze it for future crostata endeavours.
Crostata alla Marmellata
The sweet tarts on that breakfast table will usually filled with marmalade or jam of some sort. Like many Europeans, Italians serve crostatas like this for breakfast. A slice of something sweet and a coffee, and on to work! So I had put the Seville Orange Marmalade from my Book to work in this version here today. The sweet tart nature of this marmalade is a perfect contrast to the pastry. It keeps the finished tart from being too sweet against your teeth. Of course, you can also use any marmalade that you have in the fridge, or any other jam for that fact. Blackberry jam, tart cherry jam, they all work!
Along with that layer of gorgeous marmalade, there is a ricotta filling underneath. I love the contrast of the creamy ricotta against the textured marmalade above it. Again, this ricotta layer of soft ricotta blended with sugar, eggs and vanilla till smooth will work with any jam you want to use.
Assemble
First you will roll out and line a tart shell with a removable bottom. Line it up the sides, pushing it gently into the scalloped sides. The pastry shouldn’t be too thin that it breaks, or too thick, as it will puff as it bakes. The recipe below gives you the dimensions to aim for.
Fill the pastry shell with the smooth ricotta filling. Then you will spoon warmed marmalade (but cooled down to work with) over the ricotta filling till the ricotta filling is covered.
Now you will cover the crostata with lengths of pastry cut out with either a knife or a scalloped pastry wheel. When rolling out and cutting the lattices, I always cut a couple extra, just in case of breakage. But for the one below, all the pastry stayed intact. And this was using gluten free cup for cup flour, so a regular all purpose flour will make it even easier to work with. Lay out five lattice lengths evenly across the tart. Then turn the tart slightly, and lay five more lengths over the first five. Traditional Italian Crostata patterns should look like diamond, not like the more North American checkerboard pattern. Press the edges onto the exposed edge of the tart, using water to help them adhere.
Then bake. It will puff up in the oven, the rise from the eggs in the ricotta layer, along with the baking powder in the pastry. Don’t worry, it will all settle down perfectly as it cools. Dust with icing sugar once cooled and serve!
Final Thoughts
This Marmalade Ricotta Crostata is such a treat, whether as a breakfast/brunch option, or for dessert. The pastry will make you smile. It will keep for up to four days in a sealed container, even chilled in the fridge. But it does taste better brought back to room temperature, to allow the ricotta to soften again.
As I mentioned, use any jam or preserve you want for this crostata. Apricot preserves, raspberry jam, even plum jam will all be amazing.
If you like this Italian tart, check out other fruit tart options like my Gooseberry Brown Butter Tart with Almonds, Strawberry Shortcake Mousse Tart, and Apple Maple Frangipane Tart, For some savoury tarts check out Tomato Saffron Tart with Crabmeat, Asparagus Pesto Ricotta Tart, Zucchini Feta and Mint Tart with Pine Nut.
If you make this Marmalade Ricotta Crostata, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Love Jen
Marmalade Ricotta Crostata
Ingredients
Pasta Frolla
- 305 g (2 1/2 cups) flour, can substitute cup for cup gluten free flour blend
- 105 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- zest of one orange, see Notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 170 g (6 ounces, 12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water, if necessary
Filling
- 375 g (12 oz; 1 2/3 cups) fresh ricotta, at room temperature
- 50 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 400 g (1 1/4 cup) Seville Orange Marmalade, see Notes
Instructions
Pasta Frolla
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Combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using the large holes on your box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles sandy breadcrumbs.
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Whisk together the egg, and egg yolk in a small bowl. Pour this into the flour mixture and use a fork to blend until everything is starting to come together. Switch to your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. On a dry day (winter heat) or if using a gluten free flour blend, you may need a bit more moisture to help this happen, so add a little water at a time as needed.
Transfer to a clean counter and continue folding until it is smooth and well blended. Divide into the sections, about two thirds, and one third. Shape into flat disks and wrap well with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest. This can be even made the day before.
Filling
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Place the ricotta in the bowl of a food processor or use a hand held mixer to process until smooth. Transfer the ricotta to a large bowl. Beat in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined and smooth. Stop, do not overmix.
Assemble
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Preheat oven to 350F or 180°C. Position an oven rack in the lowest shelf of the oven. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm (1/4 inch)-thick disc.
Line a 23cm (9 inch) fluted tart tin (the sides should be 3.5cm or 1 1/4 inches high, SEE NOTES), with removable base, with the pastry. Ensure that you go up and past the side edges. Don't stretch it too thin. Trim excess.
The exposed pastry along the top edge should be about 1 cm or 3/8 inch wide. If pastry breaks apart as you bring it to the tart pan, no worries, patching is a breeze.
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Heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until softened and runny. Set aside for 3 minutes to cool slightly. Pour the ricotta filling into the pastry shell. Don't go higher than half way up, especially if your tart shell doesn't have the required dimensions. Spoon the jam evenly over the surface.
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Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm-thick (1/4 inch) disc. Use a ravioli wheel or sharp knife to cut the dough into ten 2cm (3/4 inch)-wide strips. Place one strip down the middle, gently letting setting over the filling and past the edges of the tart. Place two more strips evenly on either side of the centre strip. Repeat, on a half turn to create a diamond pattern, with remaining strips. Press the edges to seal and trim any excess, using a dab of water to adhere the strips to the edges.
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Place the tart on a baking tray. Bake on the lowest shelf for 55 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack till room temperature. When ready, you can remove the sides from the tart and place on a cake stand or plate. Dust with icing sugar. Cut into wedges and serve.
Recipe Notes
This tart needs to be baked in a 9 inch tart shell with a removable bottom. The sides should be 3.5 cm or 1 1/4 inches high. If your tart shell has lower sides, don't fill the ricotta portion more than halfway up.
Feel free to replace the orange zest with lemon or even lime zest. The lemon will work with most jams and preserves, and the lime works especially well with strawberry preserves!
Use the Seville Orange Marmalade found in The Lemon Apron Cookbook. You can also replace this with the jam or preserves of your choice.
Thank you for this recipe Jennifer! I made it once and will certainly be making it again and again. In fact it it’s on the menu for our family Easter brunch. The sweet pastry comes together easily, the ricotta filling was creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and the fruit preserve finished it off beautifully. Just add a steaming cup of coffee or tea to enjoy it with!
Hi Rita, Thanks so much for your kind words and review. Coming from you it means alot! It is such a versatile recipe, I love switching out the jam layer. Enjoy, Love Jen
Your site is so inspiring!!! I love reading your explanations and helpful comments and your photography is gorgeous!
I made this dessert for Easter and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! I do have a question. I checked the crostata at the 45 minute mark and it looked perfect – just like your photo. I baked it the 10 minutes and when I went to remove it from the oven, the ricotta filling had puffed up so much that the lattice attached to the edges of the tart broke and some of the filling spilled out. No worries – I patched it back together and will dust it with confectioner’s sugar. I am curious though if baking the crostata in a 10” tart pan might make a difference, or if I should leave the lattice edges floating freely and not secure them to the top edge of the dough to allow room for that lovely puffing up of the filling. If you have any suggestions, I’d appreciate it. I would love to make the crostata again and serve it as a gorgeous dessert for a dinner party.
Hi Rebecca, Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, the ricotta layer always rises, but then settles back down as it cools. Mine always rises as well, even pulling at the lattice. I try not to adhere the dough too securely, just to allow for this. Hmm, to have it rise so much that is overflows has never happened to me though. Definitely, taking the pan to the next largest size would ensure that this shouldn’t happen. Or you can reduce the amount of ricotta filling that you add. But I would try the larger tart pan and see how that goes. Let me know if you are happy with the result. Hope this helps, Love Jen
Morning : We are savouring the crostata right now with a second cup of coffee. It makes waking a little earlier, worth every minute.
I used a marmalade recipe from my Oma. (Lemon,orange,grapefruit)
Many thanks,
Love your site.
Hi Kevin, your marmalade recipe from Oma sounds amazing, I may need to make this version come citrus season! So happy you like the crostata, a perfect side to coffee! Love Jen
This crostada was delicious, and a keeper recipe! I followed the recipe exactly but my filling was very liquid. I had to bake it for 45 minutes before it was firm enough to spoon on the marmalade and place the pastry strips on top. (maybe I should have strained my ricotta first??) Then I put it back in the oven for longer, until fully firm and the lattice was golden. I used blood orange marmalade, and dusted with powdered sugar. The result is so delicious, not overly sweet and with a wonderful light texture. We have enjoyed it as dessert, and also as a late morning treat with coffee. Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, Thanks so much for the feedback. It sounds like you found a way to make the tart successful. While the ricotta layer isn’t thick and firm to begin with, it shouldn’t be so liquidy that the marmalade would sink right through it. Yes, definitely draining your ricotta if there is a distinct amount of liquid could make the difference. But I’m happy that your finished result is everything it should have been! Love Jen
My crostata filling also overflowed; I spotted the ricotta running over the edge about 15 minutes into the baking time. Luckily, I’d put the tart pan on a baking sheet. I used double cream ricotta and only had 425 grams (15 oz). The ricotta, being double cream, had very little excess moisture. All the other filling ingredients remained the same and I used a 9″ tart pan.
Overflow aside, the bits of dough and baked ricotta that spilled over were absolutely delicious!
For more citrus, I added the zest of a lemon along with the zest of an orange to the dough.
Hi Veronica, Thanks for your feedback. So sorry to hear that the ricotta had a mind of its own! I think the issue with you a another baker, is that while you are using a 9 inch tart pan, the one you are using doesn’t have sides that are high enough. Since this seems to be the case, I have adjusted the recipe to fit a variety of tart shells, with no more overflow! I hope this helps with your next version. Love Jen
Thanks for the updated measurements, Jen! I really appreciate the new guidance.
While my tart pan did have sides that come up to 1.25″, I think the key problem is that the ricotta filling was easily 2/3 up the side of the tart pan before layering the marmalade over top. And, even with a bit of a rim of pasta frolla round the upper edge, the dough was too soft (especially when not parbaked) to contain the exuberant ricotta filling.
The next time I make this I’ll use the smaller quantity of filling to prevent overflow.
But there will be a next time I make this! My wife is half-Italian and has a deep love for crostata. All the flavors here were fantastic, and the texture of the pasta frolla was spot-on.
Hi Veronica, so happy you are un-deterred by the exuberant ricotta. I think the adjusted filling measurements will be just the thing. I have adjusted it for the main recipe, I don’t think the excess amount will be missed for anyone. And now I want to make it again this weekend!! Enjoy, Love Jen