Pear and Ricotta Crostata
Pear and Ricotta Crostata
Recipe:
When pears are in season, in no time at all one can easily prepare this decadent, and delicious tart. In a tart shell the fanned out pears are laid and nestled in a creamy ricotta base, covered with sliced almonds and baked to perfection in the wood-fired oven. Let's get started!
Supplies:
- Tart Pan 9-inch loose bottomed tart pan
- Pastry cutter
Ingredients:
For the pastry dough: (you can also use the pasta frolla recipe)
- 85 grams All-purpose flour
- 75 grams Infibra flour for pastry dough (use only All-purpose flour if you don't have Infibra flour)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 60 grams superfine sugar (simply pulsate sugar in blender)
- 60 grams unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons chilled water
- Pinch of salt
For the ricotta cream filling:
- 250 grams ricotta (remove excess liquid by letting the ricotta rest and drip overnight in some cheese cloth hanging over a bowl)
- 60 grams superfine sugar (simply pulsate granulated sugar in the food processor)
- 8 grams all-purpose flour
- 45-50 grams heavy cream
- Good pinch of salt
- a splash of vanilla extract or almond extract
- 1 whole egg
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
For the topping:
- 4-5 pears
- Juice of one lemon (brush over peeled pears - keeps them from oxidizing)
- 20 grams superfine sugar
- 25-30 grams thinly sliced almonds
For the glaze:
- 15 grams jelly (apricot, apple, or peach jelly)
- Good splash of Vodka - about 2 Tablespoons
Directions:
- Preheat The Marinara Wood-Fired Oven to 375°F - 190°C.
- In a large bowl combine the 2 flours, salt, zest and sugar.
- Cut the butter into small cubes and use the pastry cutter to incorporate into the flour. Next, use the palms of both hands to rub the butter in until all the flour is coated with the fat.
- Beat the egg yolk with the chilled water, and add to the flour.
- Quickly bring all ingredients together and knead until a smooth dough ball forms. Press down to create a rough circle and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, prepare the filling by mixing the ricotta, sugar, pinch of salt, whole egg, heavy cream, flour and the vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, dust the work surface and roll it out to fit the 9-inch tart pan. Gently trim the excess dough by rolling the rolling pin over the pan, as shown in the video.
- To blind-bake the tart shell, rest parchment paper over the dough and fill it with weights. We used dried beans. Doing this will allow the tart to keep its shape without bubbling up.
- Check the oven temperature with the infrared thermometer. (As long as there is no active fire inside the cooking chamber, it is safe to leave the hot coals inside the oven. Keep the damper on the chimney slightly open to allow any smoke to escape.)
- Slide the tart shell covered with the weights inside the oven and bake at 375°F - 190°C for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the tart from the oven and remove the weights. Immediately close the door of the oven as well as the damper in order to retain all the heat. Allow the tart shell to cool.
- While the tart is in the oven, peel and core the pears and immediately brush them with lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing. Slice a each pear half into thin slices and slightly fan them out.
- Spread the ricotta cream evenly over the cooled tart shell. Place each fanned pear half all around the tart making sure the larger side is facing out.
- Scatter the thin almond slices over the top as well as the sugar. We crumbled the excess tart dough that was leftover and scattered it over the top as well.
- Slide the tart back into the oven and allow to bake for about 45-50 minutes at 325°-350°F - 162°-176°C.
- Remove from the oven and from the pan, as shown in the video.
- Heat the jelly and the Vodka in a small saucepan until it becomes liquid. Brush over the tart.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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