World Recipes: Crostata

03 May World Recipes: Crostata

Crostata is a traditional Italian tart that has become popular for its versatility and flavour. It is usually prepared with a shortcrust pastry base and filled with fruits, jam, cheeses, or even savoury ingredients, depending on personal taste. The edges of the dough are folded inward to hold the filling, giving the tart its rustic and homemade appearance.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• ½ head of cabbage
• 1 roasted garlic head
• ¼ cup wine vinegar
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 30 g chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• Olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste

For the dough:

• 200 g walnuts
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 250 g butter
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cream
• Water as needed

For the filling:

• 200 g goat ricotta
• 200 g ricotta cheese
• 50 g Parmesan cheese (for the mixture)
• Nutmeg to taste
• 1 egg
• 4 roasted beetroots
• 3 roasted red onions
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Olive oil to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Thyme to taste

Preparation

• Dough: Process the walnuts until you obtain a coarse “flour.” Mix them with the flour, cold butter cut into cubes, salt, and cream. Add water gradually until a smooth dough forms. Finish kneading with your hands, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Afterwards, roll it out to about 3 mm thick and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Filling: In a bowl, mix the ricotta, goat ricotta, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and the egg. Spread this mixture over the dough, leaving about 5 cm free around the edges. Cut the roasted beetroots and onions into wedges and place them over the ricotta mixture. Season with salt, brown sugar, and thyme. Fold the edges of the dough inward and bake at 180 °C for about 25 minutes, until golden.
• Salad: In a bowl mix the roasted garlic, salt, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add the chopped walnuts, cream cheese, and olive oil, then combine with the shredded cabbage.