Giada Apple Crostata Recipes

APPLE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
• For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAVORY BUTTERNUT SQUASH CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Scatter the squash and onions on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well to coat evenly.
• Roast until the squash is tender all the way through and the onions are soft and turning golden brown, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Unroll the pie crust onto a nonstick baking sheet. Crumble half of the cheese over the crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Top with the roasted onions and then shingle with the squash in circles. Fold the crust borders up and over the filling, crimping every 2 inches or so. Sprinkle the exposed squash with the pistachios and the remaining cheese.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the arugula and pomegranate seeds.
• Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

SAVORY CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat an oven-proof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are a dark golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir in the balsamic and sprinkle the oregano over the top. Turn off the heat and spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the pan, using a rubber spatula.
• Place the ricotta in a small bowl. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Dollop the ricotta over the onions in 8 to 10 places. Using a fork, prick the puff pasty a few times evenly. Place the puff pastry over the top of the filling, pressing down gently to make sure the dough is touching the ricotta and onions.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a plate slightly larger than the skillet. Invert the crostata onto the plate, replacing any onions that may have stuck to the pan. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dress the arugula with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the arugula over the cooled crostata and nestle the tomatoes into the onions. Slice into wedges or squares and serve.

CROSTATA WITH RASPBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Mix the flour, sugar, and lemon peel, in a food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add salt. Pulse in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough onto a heavy baking sheet that has been lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Stir the lemon juice into the preserve and spread the preserves on top of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.
• Bake the crostata until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Sprinkle with the almonds and dust with the powdered sugar, if you wish. Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet and serve.

APPLE CROSTATAS

Steps:

• To make the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. (If the dough still crumbles and does not form into a ball, add another tablespoon of ice water.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• For the filling: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the apples, 1/4 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl; toss gently to blend. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour and roll out the dough on the paper to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a heavy large baking sheet. Spoon the apple mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, leaving the apples exposed in the center. Pleat loosely and pinch the dough to seal any cracks. Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
• Bake the crostata until the crust is golden and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; cool for 10 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet. Cool the crostata to lukewarm. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

CROSTATA WITH DRIED APRICOTS AND TALEGGIO

Steps:

• For the crust: Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Add the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Put an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, walnuts, lemon zest, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the honey and stir until all the ingredients are coated. Stir in 2/3 of the cheese.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet and put it on a work surface. Put the chilled dough on the parchment paper. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Lift the parchment paper and transfer it to a baking sheet. Put the apricot filling in the center of the dough, spreading evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edge of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough. Arrange the remaining cheese on top of the filling.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg. Bake until the crust starts to turn golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cover the crostata loosely with a piece of foil and cook until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crostata from the oven to a cutting board and uncover. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve while still warm.

APPLE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For crust:
• Place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to blend. Add butter; pulse just until coarse meal forms. Add 1/4 cup ice water; pulse until dough forms clumps, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic and chill 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Crust can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Roll out dough disk on parchment paper to 15" round (some of dough will extend over edges of paper).
• Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add apples and lemon juice to bowl with sugar mixture; toss to coat apples evenly.
• Transfer apples to crust, mounding in center and leaving a 3" plain border. Scrape out any juices from bowl and drizzle over apples. Fold crust edges up over outer edges of filling, crimping dough and folding and pleating as needed to fit. Slide crostata and parchment onto a large rimless baking sheet. Crack egg into a small bowl. Using a fork, beat egg just to blend. Brush crust edges with beaten egg, then sprinkle crust with raw sugar.
• Place crostata in oven and bake until juices in center are thick and bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool for 5 minutes. Run a long, thin knife or offset spatula around edges of crostata to loosen from paper and to prevent it from sticking to the paper.
• Transfer baking sheet with crostata to a wire rack. Brush apples generously with maple syrup. Let crostata cool. Cut crostata into wedges. Place wedges on plates. Serve with a scoop of ice cream, gelato, or whipped cream.