Crostata di Marmellata

Crostata di Marmellata ( Jam filled tart)  is a traditional Italian dessert made with shortbread dough ( pasta frolla) and usually filled with  any jam or preserves of your preference.  Crostata is characterized by a lattice top, arranged in a crisscross pattern. When you think of Italian dessert you might think of tiramisu, panettone, panna cotta but this rustic tart is very high on the list of all Italians!

I have to confess that it was a long time I hadn’t made one and I enjoyed as it is an easy dessert, pretty straightforward and I filled it with a batch of my freshly made Strawberry Rhubarb Jam.

The origin of Crostata

Crostata is probably the oldest Italian pie. The origins of it date back to the XI and its creation is attributed to a nun from the convent of San Gregorio Armeno. However, the first time when the word crostata appeared in the Italian dictionaries was in the 1612 and then in the 1617 dictionary “Il memoriale della lingua italiana”, in which crostata was defined as a type of pie.

A fun fact about crostata is  that the the strips on the surface of the cake recall the grates behind which the cloistered nuns attended religious services. You can read more fun facts here.

Why you will love this recipe

-Crostata di marmellata is easy to make with simple fresh ingredients.

– This crostata recipe is a very homey, rustic dessert and it is great as a snack!

– It is a dessert that can be customized depending on your favorite crostata filling.

Crostata alla Marmellata Ingredients

To make this easy jam tart you will need simple ingredients. The classic crostata is made of pasta frolla (shortcrust pastry) and a filling of choice.

What is Pasta Frolla?

Pasta frolla is the Italian sweet shortcrust pastry. It is a basic dough recipe made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar and some flavorings. Below are some of my tips and suggestions for the basics ingredients:

Flour: I recommend using Italian 00 flour, all purpose flour  can also be good.

Sugar: I used in this recipe caster sugar as it is the best in terms of giving a dough that does not easily crumble.  If you prefer you can use brown sugar, but your  is not too you can also use brown sugar for a more softer pantry or moscovado sugar that will add a vanilla licorice taste.  I will not recommend to use powder sugar as it will make your dough crumble a lot.

Butter: go for unsalted butter and do not spare on it: in the end a good shortcrust pastry dough – pasta frolla – needs to be buttery to taste good! Make sure the butter is cold – from the fridge! 

Eggs: you will need 1 full large egg and 2 yolks. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.

Salt: a good pinch as salt makes everything taste better!

Baking powder: this is optional. 1 teaspoon will make your crust the right consistency to the bite. Not too hard but not even too soft.

Lemon Zest: I love adding lemon zest for the freshness it adds. You can sub with vanilla, orange zest or any other spices depending on the filling.

Jam Filling

I filled this tart with my Strawberry Rhubard Jam,  which is lower in sugar but here you can really pick what you like. Homemade jam is usually the traditional ingredients and most of the time it is a jar of apricot jam. You can go for any store bought jam, if you do not want to make your own. I would recommend a good brand of Italian jam that you can find at any specialty local store.

What’s the Difference Between a Crostata, a Galette, and a Tart?

While we use the 3 words often interchangeably, there is a substantial difference. Crostata is a rustic Italian dessert, usually made without a mold or with a plain mold and it has pastry strips on its top.  Galette is the French term for Crostata and it has not pastry strips but its edges are folded over and are a bit wider than the one of an Italian Crostata.

Tart is the fancy cake for which you use a tart pan and its edges are nicely made. It is also usually filled with cream, custard and it is usually made for special occasions.

How to Make Italian Crostata di Marmellata: step by step crostata recipe

STEP 1: MAKE PASTA FROLLA (SHORTBREAD PASTRY)

To make this crostata start by making the pasta frolla – aka Italian shortbread pastry. Sift the flour, add the salt and baking powder. Mix the sugar with the grated zest of a lemon and then add the sugar to the flour.

Make a wheel and add the eggs and the butter, cut in pieces.

Start by mixing the ingredient with a spatula and then when is mixed enough use your hands and form a ball. This process has to be fast otherwise the butter will melt and it will be harder to form the dough.

Wrap the dough and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

STEP 2: ROLL OUT THE PASTA FROLLA

Preheat the oven to 350 F° (180 C°) and remove the dough from the fridge at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. Divide the pastry dough in 2 part. Refrigerate the one you will not use.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface or baking paper and start rolling it out with a rolling pin, moving from the centre to the edges. Once it is half inch thick place it on top of a mold or tart tin of 9 inch diameter. Press it down with the edges overflowing the mold.

STEP 3: FILL THE CROSTATA

Fill the crostata base you obtained with your favorite jam. Spread it evenly. For different filling see below.

You will need a cup and a half of jam for this recipe.

STEP 4: MAKE THE LATTICE TOP

Make the lattice top. In this this recipe I put extra efforts and I rolled the pastry into a sheet and cut strips with a fluted pastry wheel. Traditionally is not woven as the butter makes it difficult to weave without tearing, but if you chill your dough you can achieve that easily.

A quick alternative is to make strips just by rolling them by hand and placing them on a crisscross pattern on top of the crostata.

STEP 5: CLOSE THE EDGES

The last part is closing or sealing the edges. You will just fold the extra edges over and you will close them with the rib of a fork to make a pretty decoration.

STEP 6: BAKE THE CROSTATA

Bake the crostata di marmellata for 40-45 minutes in the middle rack of your oven. Remove it when the pastry is golden brown. Wait the crostata to be cold before cutting and serving it.

Crostata Filling variations

The filling of a classic Italian jam tart is so versatile!

Classic, Traditional: go for jam. Strawberry is superb, rhubard, apricot, peach you pick!

You can also go for richer, decadent options:

Go for mascarpone cream and then add fresh fruit on top.

 Use cherry or berries and make a frangipani, a cream obtained with eggs, sugar and almonds.

More Italian dessert recipes for you

Classic Italian Tiramisu’

Strawberry Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Mini Cherry Tiramisu Pots

Blood Orange Ricotta Cake

Classic Italian Almond Biscotti

How to Store Italian Jam Tart (Crostata di Marmellata)

Crostata can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days covered in a dry, air-free place. Do not store it in the refrigerator, otherwise the butter will congeal and it will not taste that great.

You can also make the pastry dough a few days in advance, and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

When to Eat Crostata di Marmellata Rustic Italian Jam Tart

This crostata is usually eaten as snack. In Italy we have the tradition of merenda, which is a break you usually take in the mid of the afternoon. I have to confess that as a kid merenda was a must and this crostata reminds me of that.

This crostata is also great served for breakfast or you can serve it as a dessert accomoanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Please let me know in the comments how you like this Crostata di Marmellata recipe, and if you make it please leave a star rating! I would really love to hear from you!

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