Tag: pasta grammar

Crostata Di Marmellata (Fruit Jam Tart)

My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to spend most of January in Italy this year. One of my favorite sweet dishes that I tasted was a crostata di marmellata (jam filled tart) in Bologna. In Italy this is considered a breakfast item but I will probably eat it as a dessert.

This recipe is another recipe from Pasta Grammar’s duo Eva and Harper, which is featured in their amazing cookbook The Italian Family Kitchen. This is a close replica to the one I had in Bologna.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

10 TBS unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, room temperature

Grated zest of lemon

24 ounces fruit jam or marmalade

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, powdered sugar, butter, egg and lemon zest. Knead everything together by hand until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 355F. Grease a 9 inch pie or tart pan with butter and dust with flour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut off two thirds of the dough to use for the base and leave the other one third portion in the fridge. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and gently press down into the pan.

Spread the jam evenly into the prepared crust.

Roll out the remaining dough and cut into 6 strips that are each 1/2 inch wide. Lay 3 strips parallel over the top and the other 3 strips in the opposite direction.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Allow to cool then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Pasta All’Assassina – Killer Pasta

Another fantastic recipe from the amazing website Pasta Grammar. If you have not checked out their website yet, I highly recommend you do so. Eva and Harper from Pasta Grammar indicate that this particular recipe is a secret recipe that originated in Bari, Italy. It is a unique technique used to cook the pasta but it is well worth learning this one. Very few ingredients needed and easy to whip up at a moments notice.

Ingredients:

7 oz dry spaghetti (do not use bronze cut, lower quality pasta is recommended, like Barilla)

1 1/8 cup pure tomato puree

5 oz tomato paste

2 1/2 cups water

2 cloves garlic

Crushed red pepper

Olive oil

Salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan add 1/8 cup (2 TBS) tomato puree, tomato paste, and water Bring to simmer while salting to taste.

Add olive oil to coat a cast iron or heavy pan (be sure to use a pan large enough to accommodate the dry pasta lying flush on the bottom). Add 1 clove of diced garlic and 1 whole along with some crushed red pepper to the pan and cook until garlic sizzles. Add the remaining 1 cup of tomato puree and simmer. Add the dry pasta and spread into an even layer in the pan. Let the pasta burn and blacken slightly before flipping and do the same on the other side. Trust your instincts and be patient during this part because the slightly burnt and crispy pasta is delicious. Begin adding the tomato water mixture in increments while the pasta cooks. You want the moisture to evaporate then add more tomato water mixture in steps until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Season with salt and crushed red pepper.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil (and I like to add lots of fresh parmesan cheese on top).