This ricotta and pear crostata pairs a buttery, lemon-scented crust with a creamy, lightly sweet ricotta filling and tender poached pears. It bakes right in a 9.5" DaTerra Frying Pan, so there is no tart tin to buy and the rustic folded edge needs no special shaping. Serve it warm with a spoonful of pear syrup and a scattering of pistachios for an easy, elegant dessert.
The crostata is one of the foundational home bakes of the Italian kitchen. Its name comes from "crosta," the Italian word for crust, and it is built on pasta frolla, a sweet shortcrust enriched with butter, sugar, and egg. Jam-filled versions are the best known, but ricotta crostatas have long been part of regional baking across central and southern Italy.
Fresh ricotta, made from the whey left over from cheesemaking, was an everyday dairy staple in central Italy. Mild and slightly sweet, ricotta takes well to citrus, vanilla, and fruit, and pears, which ripen in autumn across Italian orchards, are a classic partner. Poaching the fruit first gives the slices a tender, even texture and produces a syrup that finishes the dessert.
The free-form fold of the crust is characteristic of the rustic crostata, which is meant to look handmade rather than perfectly molded.
Ingredients
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 100g cold butter, cubed
- 100g powdered sugar
- 1 egg, for the dough
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 250g ricotta, drained
- 60g sugar, for the filling
- 1 egg, for the filling
- 30ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium pears, peeled and thinly sliced
- 300ml water
- 40g sugar, for poaching the pears
- 1 tablespoon sugar, for the edge
- A little milk, for brushing the edge
- Powdered sugar, for serving
- Crushed pistachios, for serving
Instructions
- Drain the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight, then discard the liquid.
- Make the dough by piling the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and butter together and cutting them until the mixture looks sandy.
- Add the lemon zest and egg to the dough and work it quickly until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of cold water only if it is too dry to come together.
- Wrap the dough and chill it for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, bring the water and 40g of sugar to a simmer in a separate saucepan and poach the pears for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender but still intact.
- Move the pears to a colander and cool them completely, then pat them dry.
- Reduce the leftover poaching liquid to a syrup for serving.
- Place an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll the dough into a circle about 13 inches across and just over 1/8 inch thick, then lay it in the ungreased DaTerra 9.5" Frying Pan, letting the excess dough hang over the sides.
- Mix the drained ricotta, 60g of sugar, the egg, the milk, and the vanilla until smooth.
- Pour half of the ricotta filling into the crust, arrange the pear slices on top in overlapping rows, and spoon the remaining filling over and between the pears, leaving some of the pear showing.
- Fold the overhanging dough in over the filling, pleating it as you go, so that the edge covers about 2 inches and the center stays open.
- Brush the folded edge lightly with milk and sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the center is set but slightly soft.
- Cool the crostata in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.
- Serve it warm or at room temperature, with the pear syrup, powdered sugar, and crushed pistachios.
Notes
- Plan ahead: the ricotta needs at least 3 hours of draining and the dough needs 30 minutes of chilling, neither of which is included in the prep time. Draining the ricotta and patting the pears dry keep the filling from turning watery. Because the crostata bakes directly in the pan without a baking sheet, expect a slightly softer bottom crust than a free-form tart. Bake times are estimates for this pan size, so begin checking at 40 minutes.
Serve the crostata warm or at room temperature with the reduced pear syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, and crushed pistachios. A small glass of Vin Santo or a fresh espresso suits it well. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for a day or two and are best brought back to room temperature before serving.
Featured DaTerra product:
9.5" Nonstick Frying Pan | Made in Italy
The 9.5" Frying Pan is oven-safe to 450°F, so it moves straight from the counter to a 375°F oven, and its ceramic nonstick surface lets the dough go in ungreased. At 2 inches deep, it holds the ricotta filling and gives the folded crust edge room to pleat and brown.
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Skillet Cobbler with Blueberries and Nectarines
Big-Batch Apple Crisp with Cinnamon-Nutmeg Oat Streusel
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