Crostata Recipe

Baked crostata with blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.

5 stars (3 reviews)

This surprisingly simple Berry Crostata recipe includes an easy homemade pie crust, bounty of fresh mixed berries and luscious ricotta cream to dollop on top. It's the perfect rustic dessert or sweet brunch dish to share and enjoy all summer long!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

For the Crust -

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter cold (8 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Filling -

12 ounces blackberries or 6oz black + 6oz blueberries
16 ounces strawberries trimmed and cut into halves and quarters
Zest of 2 lemons divided
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar or regular sugar

For the Ricotta Cream -

3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup soft ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the crust: Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor. Pulse once or twice to mix. Chop the cold stick of butter into cubes. Add the butter to the processor and pulse until the butter clumps are the size of peas. Add 3 tablespoons of very cold water to the processor. Pulse it a few more times, until the dough comes together. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a round disk and wrap well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
For the ricotta cream: Pour ¾ cup of cream into a clean food processor. Process for about 1 minute—until a stiff cream forms. Add the ricotta, honey and the remaining three-quarters of the lemon zest. Process another 30 seconds, or so, until well combined. Chill until ready to use.
For the berry filling: Place the blackberries, blueberries, and cut strawberries in a medium bowl. Add one-quarter of the lemon zest, along with 2 ½ tablespoons flour, 2 ½ tablespoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss well.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once cold, roll the dough into a 12 inch free-form circle. Fold half the dough over the rolling pin and move it to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Pour the fruit mixture in the center of the dough and spread out, leaving a 1 ½ - 2 inch rim around the edges. Gently fold the edges up over the fruit, making sure not to let the fruit poke through the dough. It looks best when you go around the circle in one direction while folding.
Mix 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the exposed dough. Sprinkle the dough edges with Turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Serve a large dollop of ricotta cream with the Crostata.

Video

Notes

The ricotta cream is a very loose cream because of the honey. I personally love it this way. If you want a stiffer version, either use whipped honey or substitute sugar.

In a hurry? Buy a premade roll-out pie crust and skip making the dough!

- Storing Leftovers - The taste and texture are best when enjoyed freshly baked, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

- Freezing - This dessert is great to freeze either before or after baking. You can flash freeze the whole thing for an hour before baking, or bake and then cool to room temperature. When ready to store, first wrap the crostata in a layer of plastic wrap before placing in an airtight bag, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking per the recipe instructions.

Nutrition