Home / Italian Almond & Ricotta Tart (Including TM Method)

Italian Almond & Ricotta Tart (Including TM Method)

 

 

This “Crostata di Ricotta” or Italian Ricotta & Almond Tart, is wonderfully light and simple dessert that I presented for the Thermomix Emerald 2017 participants in Lake Como. The use of baking powder allows for the shortcrust pastry to “puff” up a little, giving it a lighter texture than traditional shortcrust pastry. Buon appetito!

(Serves 10-12: Makes one x 25cm diameter x 3.5cm deep fluted flan tin)

Pastry

300g flour (in Italy they use 00 flour)

120g sugar

1 packet (16g) Lievito Vaniglinato per Dolci* (or substitute with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp vanilla extract)

130g butter, cubed and at room temperature

2 eggs

Filling

Zest from two oranges

800g** Italian-style ricotta, well drained overnight so it is not too moist (1kg of ricotta drained in a sieve overnight will result in about 800g)

4 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg yolk, whisked

½ cup flaked almonds

100g chocolate, melted to drizzle over torta pieces to serve

* Vanilla flavoured yeast for sweets used extensively in Italy, usually marketed as “Lievito Pane degli Angeli”. It allows for the shortcrust pastry in this recipe to puff up a little, making it softer than a traditional shortcrust pastry once cooked. “Lievito Pane degli Angeli” can be found at most Italian continental grocers or online. A close substitution would be to use 1 ½ tsp baking powder and 1 tsp vanilla extract. 

** 1kg of Italian-style ricotta (not smooth but chunky) drained in a sieve overnight will result in about 800g of drained ricotta.

 

Thermomix Method

  1. Add flour, sugar, lievito vaniglinato (or baking powder and vanilla), cubed butter and eggs to bowl. Knead: 1min.
  2. Turn out onto a floured work surface and bring together into a ball. Divide into 2/3 and 1/3 and flatten to a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30min to rest.
  3. While pastry is resting, prepare the ricotta filling mixture.
  4. Place orange zest into TM and chop: 10 sec | SP8. Scrape down sides.
  5. Add ricotta, sugar & vanilla and gently combine, using the spatula to assist: 30 sec | SP3. Set aside while preparing pastry base and top.
  6. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan Forced).
  7. Once dough has rested, remove from fridge and place onto a floured work surface. Gently roll the large piece to line 25cm x 2.5cm round fluted flan tin. Trim edges to top of tin.
  8. Spread ricotta filling evenly onto base.
  9. Roll smaller piece to cover tart. Trim sides and gently pinch edges together to seal top and bottom pastry together.
  10. Brush tart with egg yolk and sprinkle almond flakes evenly over tart.
  11. Bake in preheated 180C oven for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
  12. Remove from oven and let cool in tin. Gently remove tart from tin and serve drizzled with melted chocolate.
  13. Buon appetito!!

 

Conventional Method

  1. Place the flour, sugar, and lievito vaniglinato (or baking powder and vanilla), into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cubed butter and continue to pulse until mixture resembles “breadcrumbs”.
  2. Add eggs and continue to process until mixture just comes together.
  3. Turn pastry out onto a floured work surface and bring together into a ball, without overworking it. Divide into 2/3 and 1/3 and flatten to a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30min or until well-chilled.
  4. While pastry is resting, prepare the ricotta filling mixture.
  5. Place ricotta, sugar, vanilla & orange zest into a mixing bowl. Mix together either by hand or electric mixture until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Set aside while preparing pastry base and top.
  6. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan Forced).
  7. Once dough has rested, remove from fridge and place onto a floured work surface. Gently roll the large piece to line 25cm x 2.5cm round fluted flan tin. Trim edges to top of tin.
  8. Spread ricotta filling evenly onto base.
  9. Roll smaller piece to cover tart. Trim sides and gently pinch edges together to seal top and bottom pastry together.
  10. Brush tart with egg yolk and sprinkle almond flakes evenly over tart.
  11. Bake in preheated 180C oven for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
  12. Remove from oven and let cool in tin. Gently remove tart from tin and serve drizzled with melted chocolate.

Buon appetito!!

 

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