Ricotta Crostatta Recipe
KUMQUAT SORBET, CANDIED KUMQUATS
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Crostata Shell
Ricotta Filling
Candied Kumquats
Kumquat Sorbet
Finish & Garnish
Method
Crostata Shell
- 1
Make dough
In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and shortening; pulse or cut with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Whisk together egg yolk, cold water, and vanilla, then add to flour mixture and gently fold/pulse until dough just comes together. Avoid overworking.
- 2
Chill dough
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days) until firm.
- 3
Blind bake shell
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thick and fit into a 10" tart pan with removable bottom, trimming excess and crimping edge. Line dough with parchment and fill with weights or dried beans. Bake 18–20 minutes until edges lightly golden. Remove weights and parchment, prick bottom lightly, and bake another 6–8 minutes until bottom set and slightly golden. Cool slightly.
Ricotta Filling
- 4
Prepare ricotta
Place ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let drain for 30 minutes to remove excess whey. Press gently with a spoon if needed.
- 5
Blend filling
In a medium bowl, whisk drained ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, lemon and orange zests, vanilla, egg, and salt until smooth and homogeneous. Taste and adjust sweetness or citrus as desired.
- 6
Assemble and bake
Lower oven to 350°F (175°C). Spoon ricotta filling into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top. Bake 25–30 minutes until filling is set but still slightly jiggly in center. Cool to room temperature on a rack, then chill at least 1 hour to firm.
Candied Kumquats
- 7
Prepare kumquats
Halve kumquats lengthwise and remove seeds with the tip of a knife or spoon. Reserve any juice. Place halves in a small saucepan.
- 8
Cook in syrup
Combine sugar and water in the saucepan with kumquats, add lemon juice and optional split vanilla bean. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer gently 10–12 minutes until kumquats are tender and syrup has thickened slightly. Do not boil vigorously to avoid splitting fruit.
- 9
Cool and store
Remove from heat and let cool in syrup. Transfer kumquats and syrup to a jar and chill. Use several pieces to top the crostata; reserve remaining syrup for spooning over sorbet or tart.
Kumquat Sorbet
- 10
Make simple syrup
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water for the sorbet. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- 11
Juice and strain
Juice fresh kumquats until you have about 3/4 cup juice. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove pith and seeds. Combine kumquat juice, cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, and optional liqueur; chill mixture thoroughly (at least 1 hour).
- 12
Churn and freeze
Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until soft-scoop consistency (about 20–25 minutes). Transfer to a shallow container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm. If no ice cream maker: freeze in a shallow pan, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes until smooth and scoopable.
Finish & Serve
- 13
- 14
Serve with sorbet
Scoop kumquat sorbet and serve a quenelle or scoop alongside each slice of crostata. Spoon a little reserved candied-kumquat syrup over the sorbet for extra shine and flavor. Garnish with microgreens or mint if desired.
- 15
Storage
Crostata will keep refrigerated (covered) 2–3 days. Sorbet keeps in freezer up to 2 weeks. Candied kumquats refrigerated in syrup keep up to 2 weeks.