Italian Crostata: A No Butter Pasta Frolla Recipe

Do you like easy Italian desserts? If you do, you are going to love this Italian Jam Tart! The pasta frolla recipe to make this Crostata di Marmellata is made without butter and it still tastes amazing!

It has often been said that the basis of Italian cooking and baking is using simple, quality ingredients and methods. This will often result in an end product that is nothing short of spectacular.

There’s no shortage of easy Italian desserts to demonstrate this.

Take, for example, ricotta cheese.

What can be easier than whipping up ricotta cheese to the point where all traces of graininess has been removed?  When this whipped ricotta is layered, say, for example, with juicy strawberries, you have made a simple strawberry ricotta dessert -the perfect no-bake dessert for summer or any time of the year.

Another authentic Italian dessert that comes to mind is this family recipe for a traditional ciambella. It takes less than ten minutes -with no mixer!

The final product is not too sweet and has a wonderful delicate crumb. Served it with fresh fruit and it makes a wonderful light dessert.

It is also great for breakfast. My family refers to it as the perfect Italian breakfast cake -best when dunked in your morning coffee 🙂

So, as you can see, simplicity and Italian desserts go hand in hand.

Today, I would like to share another simple dessert and possibly one of the most popular pies in Italy – Crostata di Marmellata.

What is the secret to making the best crostata?

There are not one, but two secrets to making the best Crostata di Marmellata.

The first secret is using the best quality jam (or fruit preserves) you can find. Whether this is homemade or commercial -it has to have the right amount of sweetness to balance the overall flavors of the tart.

As far as the amount of jam is concerned, there should be just enough in every bite so that you are not overwhelmed by the sweetness. Often, less is more 😉

As you can see, I love to use my strawberry jam as a filling for this Italian jam tart. I’ve also had great results with this no-pectin blueberry jam recipe.

There are no limits as to the kind of fruit preserves you can use -plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, figs, etc… all of these and more would just be spectacular. 

The second secret is the ratio of crust to jam. If the crust is too thin, the whole crostata falls apart when slicing it. Ideally, roll the dough to ¼ (or slightly thicker) inch thick.

If you recall, when we made this triple berry crostata, there was no pan used -it was a free-form pie. Today, we will use a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. But don‘t worry. It‘s just as easy.  Are you ready?

Instructions

As you can well imagine, there are two parts to making this Italian crostata:

Crostata dough: This no-butter dough comes together in no time in a food processor.

• Simply pulse together the lemon zest and sugar to release some of the oils from the zest.  Can you begin to smell the citrus freshness?
• Next, add the whole egg and the egg yolk and give it a whirl for 20 seconds.
• Add the safflower oil and once again, process for 15-20 seconds.
• It is now time to add the dry ingredients -so pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt with the liquid ingredients.
• It should take about 10 pulses or until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• The dough should stick together when gently squeezed.

• Transfer the dough to a wooden board that has been lightly floured.
• Gather the dough together and form a log. Just in case you are wondering, this dough requires no kneading.
• Divide into two balls -one about ⅔ of the dough which will form the bottom layer of the crostata and the other ⅓ will become the top. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the larger piece of dough to fit your 10” tart pan. To facilitate the transfer of the dough to your tart pan, roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
• Slide the parchment paper (and the dough) on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator while you roll out the smaller piece of dough that will form the lattice top. Once again, transfer to a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator. Pull out the first piece of dough.
• Quickly flip the dough and the parchment paper over the tart pan and slowly peel back the parchment paper. Press dough into the edges of the pan. If the dough breaks (like mine) simply use the scraps of dough to patch up. Remember this is a rustic pie 🙂
• With the times of a fork, simply prick a few holes in the base of the crust.

The jam: Today, I am using my strawberry jam. Feel free to use your preferred jam.

• Spread a thin layer of jam over the bottom part of the dough, about ¾ cup.
• Pull out the smaller piece of rolled dough from the refrigerator. Cut into strips, about ½ inch, with a pastry wheel, arrange over the jam. Start by placing the longest strip straight across the middle, followed by one or two strips on either side. This will form your bottom layer of strips. Then, criss-cross with 4 more strips. If you still have the dough, you can cover the sides with it. Gently press together, securing the side ends to the bottom crust.
• Brush a little of the egg wash over your latticework (NOT the jam).
• Bake in a 400° F oven for about 30 minutes (in the bottom third of the oven) or until the crust is golden brown.
• Allow to cool completely before serving.

Here are a few more tips:

• If you have a scale, use it to measure out the flour;
• If the dough is too dry, wet your hands with water and gently incorporate it together. Sometimes I will use the extra egg white. Temperature and humidity will affect the texture of the dough;
• You can replace the safflower oil with other oils… I prefer a lighter oil with this Italian pastry;
• If your dough cracks or breaks, just patch it up with another piece of dough. You need to work quickly when handling this dough.

Recipe origins

My parents had the most wonderful fruit trees growing in their backyard -peaches, Italian prunes, pears, apples. As a result of this overabundance of fruit, my mom would try to preserve them by making fruit jams and compote… and more often than not, a crostata was sure to follow.

Unfortunately, there were no measurements to my mom‘s crostata recipe, only ingredients.  So, I based myself on Carol Field‘s (The Italian Baker) Pasta Frolla (version 1). Since my mom rarely baked with butter, I replaced the butter with safflower oil and I decreased the total amount of sugar as the strawberry jam I make is sweet enough.

Some other changes I will sometimes make are replacing the vanilla with Grappa and using an egg wash to give the crostata a little more color.

Needless to say, there are infinite variations that can be found in any cookbook or online when looking for a pasta frolla recipe to make a jam-filled crostata.

In my humble opinion, the best recipes are usually the ones we grew up with. Often, it isn’t even the actual recipe that we are trying to replicate, but that special connection shared with loved ones, to a time and place in the past.

This Italian Jam Tart is rustic and imperfect. Yes, the dough will tear, but it can just as easily be patched up. The best part is that no one cares because it tastes really good.

This Crostata di Marmellata can be part of a decadent breakfast or a special treat at the end of a meal.

There is something to be said about simple foods that provide us with uncomplicated flavors.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this Italian Jam Tart recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Crostata [No Butter Pasta Frolla Recipe]

Do you like easy Italian desserts? If you do, you are going to love this Italian Jam Tart! The pasta frolla recipe to make this Crostata di Marmellata is made without butter and it still tastes amazing!

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• 2½ cups flour all purpose, 300 grams
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 4-5 tablespoons sugar granulated
• zest of one lemon
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup safflower oil scant
• ¾ cup strawberry preserves homemade or commercial

Egg wash:

• 1 egg yolk lightly beaten for brushing lattice top
• ½ teaspoon milk

Instructions

• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a food processor. pulse together the lemon zest and sugar.
• Add the whole egg, the egg yolk and vanilla extract.  Give it a whirl for 20 seconds.
• Next, add the safflower oil and process for 15-20 seconds.
• Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) and pulse together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. The dough should stick together when gently squeezed.
• Transfer the dough to a wooden board which has been lightly floured.
• Gather the dough together and form a log. Just in case you are wondering, this dough requires no kneading.
• Divide into two balls -one about ⅔ of the dough which will form the bottom layer of the crostata and the other ⅓ will become the top. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Place oven grate to bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven 400° F. 
• Roll out the larger piece of dough to fit your tart pan. In order to facilitate the transfer of the dough to your tart pan, roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
• Slide the parchment paper (and the dough) on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator while you roll out the smaller piece of dough that will form the lattice top. Once again, transfer to a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator. Pull out the first piece of dough.
• Quickly flip the dough and the parchment paper over the tart pan and slowly peel back the parchment paper. Press dough into the edges of the pan. If the dough breaks (like mine) simply use the scrapes of dough to patch up.
• With the times of a fork, simply prick a few holes in the base of the crust.
• Spread a thin layer of jam over the bottom part of the dough.
• Pull out the smaller piece of rolled dough from the refrigerator. Cut into strips with a pastry wheel, about ½ inch, and arrange over the jam. Start by placing the longest strip straight across the middle, followed by one or two strips on either side. This will form your bottom layer of lattice strips. Then criss-cross with 4 more strips. If you still have dough, you can cover the sides with it. Gently press the sides together, securing the ends to the bottom crust.
• Brush a little of the egg wash over your lattice work (NOT the jam).
• Bake in a 400° F oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
• Allow to cool completely before removing form the tart pan and serving.

Enhance Your Cooking Experience!SCROLL UP for essential step-by-step photos embedded in the article above. When available, videos can be found in the next section. These visuals are designed to help you achieve perfect results every time. Happy cooking!

Notes

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 82mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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