Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Crostata di Marmellata
The quintessential Italian home-baked tart. A buttery, lemon-scented shortcrust pastry filled with a thick layer of high-quality fruit jam, topped with a lattice crust.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 8 servings
- all-purpose flour
- unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- lemon zest (grated)
- baking powder
- high-quality fruit jam (apricot, cherry, or plum)
Equipment
- Tart pan with removable bottom
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- 1
Make Pasta Frolla
In a food processor (or by hand), pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until it resembles coarse sand.
- 2
Add Eggs
Add the eggs (usually 1 whole egg and 1 yolk). Pulse just until the dough comes together into a ball.
- 3
Rest Dough
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm the butter.
- 4
Divide Dough
Cut off about 1/3 of the dough and reserve it for the lattice top.
- 5
Roll Base
Roll the larger piece of dough out on a floured surface. Press it into a greased tart pan, trimming the edges.
- 6
Add Jam
Spread a thick, even layer of your chosen fruit jam over the dough base. (Apricot is the most traditional).
- 7
Create Lattice
Roll out the reserved dough. Cut it into thin strips. Lay the strips over the jam in a crisscross lattice pattern.
- 8
Seal Edges
Fold the edges of the bottom crust over the ends of the lattice strips to seal.
- 9
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the jam is bubbling.
- 10
Cool
Crucial: let the crostata cool completely before slicing, or the hot jam will run everywhere.
Cooking Tips
- Italian pasta frolla often contains a tiny bit of baking powder, which makes the crust slightly softer and more cake-like than a French tart shell.
- The quality of the jam is everything. Use a premium preserve, not a cheap jelly.
Variations
- Crostata alla Nutella: Fill with chocolate hazelnut spread instead of jam (extremely popular with children).
Chef's Notes & Storage
- The default breakfast pastry in Italian households, alongside a cappuccino.
Nutrition Estimate
350 calories · 4g protein · 55g carbs · 14g fat · 1g fiber per serving
