Raspberry Crostata (Crostata di Lamponi)

The crostata is perhaps the oldest Italian dessert. A popular tradition traces the origin of this Italian pie to the ancient Romans. In Italy, it is not only eaten as a dessert but often for breakfast too, with a hot cup of espresso or cappuccino, or with tea in the afternoon.

This delicious and fresh raspberry crostata is prepared with an easy homemade dough (pasta frolla), topped with custard and then decorated with fresh raspberries for a tasty and colorful touch.

RASPBERRY CROSTA (CROSTATA DI LAMPONE)

Total Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours          Baking time: 35-40 minutes           Servings: 6–8

INGREDIENTS
Pasta Frolla (see Crostata con Confettura di Fichi e Mandorle)

Custard
500 ml (2 cups + 2 Tbsp) whole milk
1 whole vanilla bean
6 medium egg yolks
150 g (¾ cup) sugar
50 g (⅓ cup) potato starch
450 g (1 lb) fresh raspberries
Powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and set the oven rack to the middle position
2. To make the “crostata” base, you first need to prepare the “pasta frolla”
3. While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, prepare the custard. In a saucepan, place the whole vanilla bean in the milk and heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; then remove the vanilla bean from the milk. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk or an electric mixer until frothy. Mix in the starch a little at a time. Add ⅔ cup of the cooled milk, stirring continuously with a whisk. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture begins to thicken and just reaches a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until the custard is smooth and thick. Do not allow it to boil vigorously. 4. Turn off the heat and let cool. Pour the custard into a glass bowl. To avoid the formation of a “skin” while the custard is cooling, lay a disk of plastic wrap directly on the surface.
5. Once the dough has rested, on a lightly floured board roll (or gently pat) the pastry dough to fit the bottom and sides of a 25 cm (10 in) springform pan. The sides should have a slightly thicker layer of pastry than the bottom, about 6 mm (¼ in). Prick the pastry bottom with the tines of a fork (four or five times is sufficient). Cover with a disk of parchment paper cut to a diameter slightly larger than the tart, fill with dried beans, and bake (on the middle rack of the oven) for approximately 20 minutes. Then, remove the beans by lifting the edges of the paper. Continue baking for about 15 minutes so that the dough dries out. Cool on a wire rack. Remove the crust from the springform pan as soon as it is cool. If left in the pan, it will turn irreparably soggy
6. While the crust cools, wash the raspberries quickly under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the crust to a serving plate, fill it with custard, and decorate with raspberries.

Note: If your custard turns out soupy instead of thickening up in the refrigerator, you have not cooked it long enough. It is important to cook the custard for 2 minutes stirring constantly. – Paola