Italian Ricotta Chocolate Tart Recipe

Calling all ricotta and chocolate lovers! This Italian Ricotta Chocolate Tart Recipe is the perfect make-ahead dessert to end any meal.

Dark and semi-sweet chocolate is combined with ricotta, rum & orange zest and is then baked to perfection in a pasta frolla crust. Your taste buds will be in ricotta heaven once you taste this simple chocolate ricotta tart.

It should come as no surprise that food’s overall look and smell will contribute to the taste factor.

After all, hasn’t it been said that you eat with your eyes first?

I’ve worked as a dietitian in inpatient food services for decades, and I’ve also known a few professional chefs in my life, and the consensus is: that looks matter!

The simple truth is that whether food is being served in a restaurant, in a hospital, or in the comfort of your home, if whatever is on your plate does not look appetizing, chances are it will not have the same appeal as a well-plated dish.

Now, that being said, look at this mouth-watering tart. Can you anticipate the chocolaty silkiness?

In this case, the personality of this ricotta cheese dessert matches its appearance. Not too heavy, not too light, not too sweet, just like this ricotta pie; it hits every note just right. And a dollop of sweet ricotta brings it all together. 

If that wasn’t enough to convince you what a star dessert this is, let me add this: it comes together more quickly than you can imagine! 

Come and take a look!

Jump to:

• How to make Crostata di Ricotta al Cioccolato
• The shortcrust pastry dough
• The ricotta chocolate tart filling
• Filling and baking the tart shell
• Tips
• FAQ
• Italian ricotta cheese desserts
• Recipe inspiration
• Recipes using dark chocolate
• Recipe

How to make Crostata di Ricotta al Cioccolato

As you may have guessed, this ricotta chocolate tart recipe has two parts: the shortcrust pastry dough crust (pasta frolla) and the chocolate ricotta filling.

The shortcrust pastry dough

Please note that I will use this pasta frolla recipe to create the tart shell for this baked ricotta dessert. Please refer to it for more details. 

How to make the dough

Prepare the butter: Cut ½ cup of cold unsalted butter into 18 small pieces and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1¾ cups flour (250 grams), ⅓ cup granulated sugar (67 grams), ½ teaspoon of baking powder, and ⅛  teaspoon of salt.
2. Pulse several times to combine.
3. Distribute the cold butter evenly over the dry ingredients.
4. Pulse about 12 times at 1-second intervals until the mixture is fine and powdery.
5. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
6. Pulse until the dough clumps together and forms a smooth ball, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to overprocess the dough.

Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for about half an hour. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container.

How to roll the dough

When you’re ready to roll the dough, butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

Cut off one-third of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. We will use this dough to create the strips for the lattice top.

Place two-thirds of the dough on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a round disk roughly 2 inches larger than the tart pan, about ⅜- ¼ inch (approx. ½ cm) thick.

Transfer the dough to the pan and gently press it into the sides and bottom. Trim the excess dough overhang with a knife and place it in the refrigerator.

Lightly flour the same sheet of parchment paper. Use the rolling pin to roll out the reserved one-third dough in a 9-10 inch round. Using a pastry cutter, cut into 10 (¾-inch) strips. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. 

While waiting, let’s make the ricotta filling. 

The ricotta chocolate tart filling

Break (or chop) 3 ounces of dark and 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate into little pieces. Place in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

When the chocolate is almost melted, remove the pot from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside to cool down.

• Photos 1, 2 and 3: In a large mixing bowl (of a stand mixer), beat one pound of whole milk ricotta cheese (room temperature) and two tablespoons of orange zest on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth (approx 2 minutes). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times with a rubber spatula.
• Photos 4: Gradually add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, followed by ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of rum.
• Photos 5 and 6: Finally, combine the melted and cooled chocolate.

Filling and baking the tart shell

Remove the pastry shell from the refrigerator and spoon the chocolate ricotta filling. Spread evenly with the help of an offset spatula.

Remove the pastry strips from the refrigerator and brush each strip with an egg wash to create a lattice top. Brush the rim of the dough in the tart pan as well.

We are going to place five strips of dough on the tart, first in one direction, then at a slight angle to create a lattice, as follows:

1. Lay one strip of dough across the middle of the tart.
2. Next, add two strips of dough spaced evenly on either side.
3. Finally, place two more strips of dough on the outer edge.
4. Complete the criss-cross by laying one strip of dough down the middle, at a slight angle. You’ll notice how it joins the edges of the previous strips of dough.
5. Next, add two strips of dough equally distanced on either side.
6. Finally, place two more strips of dough on the outer edge.

Trim the excess dough with a knife by applying pressure on the top of the tart case.

Bake in a preheated oven (375°F/190°C) for about 40 minutes or until the chocolate has slightly puffed and the center is set.

Cool on a wire rack before serving at room temperature or refrigerate overnight for the orange and chocolate flavors to become more pronounced. 

As an option, serve with a dollop of sweet ricotta or a dusting of icing sugar. 

Tips

• Use high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese to avoid having a sandy texture in the final product. 
• Take the ricotta cheese and the whipping cream out of its package and let it come up to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• Weighing flour is the most precise method for measuring this ingredient. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, the next best method is to fluff your flour, then use a dry measuring cup to scoop it and level it off with a knife. For reference, 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 142 grams [source]. 
• Use a fluted pastry wheel to cut the strips of dough for a lattice top with fluted edges.

FAQ

Italian ricotta cheese desserts

Some other ricotta desserts include this decadent but easy-to-make chocolate cream cake, pastiera Napoletana and lemon ricotta cake. Enjoy!

Recipe inspiration

If you are familiar with my blog, you know that I love ricotta and often use it in desserts.

The inspiration for this chocolate tart is from The Italian Way cookbook, purchased at a second-hand bookstore over a decade ago. If you recall, this recipe for Limoncello Ricotta Cake is another family favorite from this collection of Italian recipes.

The original recipe included only semi-sweet chocolate. I prefer to have a mixture of dark and semi-sweet chocolate. I have also made this recipe using Toblerone and surprisingly enough, I like the mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate.

The pasta frolla recipe is from Nick Malgieri. For more details on this Sweet shortcrust pastry dough, be sure to read this detailed article on pasta frolla.

This chocolate tart or, if you prefer, Crostata di Ricotta al Cioccolato would truly make a spectacular dessert to serve on Easter day or any other special event. Enjoy!!!

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

Recipes using dark chocolate

Recipe

This post was originally published on March 23, 2018, and republished on March 15, 2022, with updated content and photos Thanks for sharing!