This Peach Crostata recipe is such an easy Italian dessert to make. Serve this baked fruit tart as is, or top it with sweet ricotta for a light summer dessert!
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Introduction
There are endless possibilities for fresh fruit desserts for the summer, especially peach dessert recipes.
Grilled peaches are one of the simplest and tastiest summer desserts, especially when topped with ricotta.
In-season juicy peaches also make a great addition to this fresh fruit salad, which is not only effortless to make but also healthy and delicious.
This peach crostata recipe, called crostata di pesche in Italian, is simply made by rolling out pasta frolla in a large circle, filling the center with sliced peaches, and bringing up the edges of the dough to enclose the fruit filling. Brushing the border of dough with an egg wash, followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar, ensures the perfect crust for this free-form peach tart. Serve this Italian pie warm or at room temperature.
Mise en place
Before assembling this fruit crostata, we must prepare both the filling and the dough.
Peach filling: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
Rinse 3 medium-sized ripe peaches. Cut in half. Cut again in half and slice each quarter as thinly as possible. Optional: If desired, remove the skin.
Toss gently with the dry ingredients and set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to release the stone fruit’s natural sugars.
Crostata dough: The recipe I used for the dough is the same as the one I used in this berry crostata. It comes together very quickly and provides the perfect base for the peaches. You are going to love the crispy, buttery texture. Consult the post for a step-by-step photo tutorial. The detailed recipe is also located in the recipe card found at the bottom of this post.
If you prefer, you can make this no butter pasta frolla recipe used in making this Crostata di Marmellata.
If neither of these homemade options works for you at this time, feel free to buy a commercial product.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C); position rack to bottom third.
Roll out the dough into a 12-13 inch circle on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.
Place the peaches, without the extra liquid, in the center of this simple homemade crust any way you like, leaving a 1½-2 inch border around the edges.
Gently fold the edges of the pastry towards the center and create pleats at 2-inch intervals, leaving the center of the crostata exposed.
As an option, scatter a handful of fresh berries over the peaches.
At this time, drizzle the extra peach liquid over the top of the peaches and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of almond flour.
Working quickly, brush the egg wash over the exposed dough, followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar (1 tablespoon).
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Place a sheet of foil over the peach filling and bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool down slightly for the fruit to set.
Tips to make the best peach crostata
- Allow the peaches to marinate with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes to release the natural sugars.
- Adjust the amount of sugar used based on the sweetness and ripeness of the peaches.
- To ensure the perfect flaky crust, do not overwork the dough.
- If you are having difficulty rolling out the dough, place it between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
- Rolling out the dough on lightly floured parchment paper provides an easy transfer to the baking sheet.
- Arrange the sliced peaches any way you like on the dough.
- To prevent the peaches from drying out, drizzle the top with the leftover juices from the filling and cover the fruit with aluminum halfway through the baking process.
FAQ
You can use whatever kind of peaches you prefer, and are available to you! Either yellow or white provides excellent results.
Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, garnish the golden pink peaches with fresh mint or basil. It can also be served with sweet ricotta or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
More crostata recipes
Apple Crostata
No matter what time of year, there’s always room for fruit desserts. This apple variation makes an easy crostata that’ll impress your friends and family with its flavorful goodness!
If you are looking for more easy crostata recipes, be sure to try this Berry Crostata. The perfect summer dessert!
Recipe inspiration
Growing up Italian meant having the most wonderful urban garden. We had a very large backyard which allowed my dad to plant a nice variety of vegetables and fruit trees.
Throughout his lifetime, he successfully planted a few varieties of apples, pear, Italian plum, fig, cherry, and peach trees. Still to this day, those were some of the juiciest peaches I have ever tasted.
The kitchen was my mom’s territory and like most Italian nonnas, she produced the most amazing desserts and preserves with all this fresh fruit.
Easy Italian desserts like this apple cake and of course fruit-filled crostatas -nothing fancy, just easy desserts from scratch that taste amazing!
Once you make this crostata, you will not only be amazed at easy it is to make, but how delicious it is as well.
Enjoy!
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian rustic peach tart, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Peach Crostata Recipe
Ingredients
For the peach filling:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons flour all-purpose
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 3 peaches medium, sliced thinly, with or without skin
For the pastry dough:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 215 grams
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter frozen
- ⅓ cup ice cold water
- 1 egg yolk
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon Turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling on egg wash for sprinkling on egg wash
Optional:
- blueberries fresh, a handful
- ½ teaspoon almond flour
- Basil or mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C). Position rack to bottom third.
For the peach filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the sliced peaches and toss gently together. Set aside.
For the pastry dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, zest and salt.
- Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter over dry ingredients.
- Toss gently (with fingers) to incorporate the butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ice cold water and egg yolk.
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of egg yolk-water mixture over a small section of the dry ingredients..
- Incorporate together with a fork and push it aside.
- Add another tablespoon and repeat until you have used up all the liquid.
- Gently knead the dough (with your fingertips) a few times and before you know it, you will have a ball of dough.
- Place the ball of dough between two pieces of parchment paper which have been lightly floured.
- Roll out the dough in a circle approximately 12-13 inches.
- Transfer the parchment with the rolled out dough directly on the baking sheet.
How to assemble:
- Place the sliced peaches, without the extra liquid for now, in the center of this simple homemade crust any way you like, leaving a 1½-2 inch border around the edges.
- Gently fold the edges of the pastry towards the center and create pleats at 2-inch intervals, leaving the center of the crostata exposed.
- As an option, scatter a handful of fresh berries over the peaches.
- At this time, drizzle the extra peach liquid over the top of the peaches and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of almond flour.
- Working quickly, brush the egg wash over the exposed dough followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar (1 tablespoon).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Place a sheet of foil over the peach filling and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool down slightly in order for the fruit to set.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, garnish with fresh mint or basil.
Video
Notes
- Allow the peaches to marinate with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes allowing the natural sugars to be released.
- Adjust the amount of sugar used based on the sweetness and ripeness of the peaches.
- To ensure the perfect flaky crust, do not overwork the dough.
- If you are having a hard time rolling out the dough, place it in between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
- Rolling out the dough on lightly floured parchment paper provides an easy transfer to the baking sheet.
- Arrange the sliced peaches any way you like on the dough.
- To prevent the peaches from drying out, drizzle the top with the leftover juices from the filling and cover the fruit with aluminum halfway through the baking process.
Marianne
This is a go-to recipe for me. Crostata/Gallette is easier than a pie. I always have blueberries in the freezer so during peach season, I almost always add them. Pretty, too.
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Marianne. It really is so much fun to make crostatas!
Chris
I made one last week because I didn’t have enough peaches to make a full pie. And then I remembered making an apple one several years ago. I think I prefer this rustic recipe and presentation more! Love it with a little vanilla ice cream 🙂
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Chris! I agree, crostatas are so much fun to bake up!
Sandra
What a beautiful dessert. It was delicious despite my difficulties with pastry. I did have to chill the pastry dough and even then it was soft to work with. Practice will make perfect I think. Will definitely make this pretty and tasty dessert again. Would love an apple crostata recipe !
Maria
Thanks so much Sandra. I am sorry you had a hard time with the dough. If you have a scale, perhaps you can try weighing the flour… it has been my experience that everyone measures flour a little differently. You can test it out yourself. My point of reference is Cook’s Illustrated… 1 cup of AP flour=142 grams. Note: This is such a controversial topic as all the “baking experts” don’t agree to what 1 cup of flour should weigh.
Thrilled to hear you were happy with the results. I will be publishing an apple crostata by the end of the week… stay tuned!
Stephanie
Hello. What is the weight in grams that you are using for a cup of flour? It seems to vary from recipe to recipe so I just want to be sure. Thank you
Maria
Hi! Yes, I absolutely agree with you. My reference is Cook’s Illustrated. So, 1 cup of all-purpose flour when weighed is 142 grams or 5 ounces. Thanks for your interest.
Sarah
Tried it and it turned out great ! Just the right amount of sweetness while maintaining the natural flavor of peaches. My family loved it ! Keep inspiring 🙂
Maria
Fantastic Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
Toni
I recently found your blog, I love it!!!! I also enjoy your stories about your parents. Thank you for sharing such great dishes!!
Maria
Thanks so much for your kind words Toni! Welcome!
Diane
I just finished making this Peach Crostata recipe. It is delicious! I saw your pictures after I took it out of the oven. But it’s definitely delicious and that’s all that matters.
Maria
How wonderful Diane! Thank you !