A delicious and easy-to-make Neapolitan tart is the Babbaiola tart. It seems the inventor was a pastry chef called Maria specialized in Babà that’s why they called her Babbaiola.
My version is super rustic, with a custard made with whole eggs and a shortcrust pastry crust with just a little butter. It’s delicious and fresh, perfect for a springtime snack.
Lemony custard and Ricotta Tart
- Preparation time: 40 minutes+ baking time
- For a 20 cm cake pan
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- For the short crust pastry:
- 250 grams of all-purpose flour
- 100 grams of superfine sugar
- 50 grams of butter
- 1 and 1/2 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- For the custard:
- 2 eggs
- 400 grams of whole milk
- 40 grams of cornstarch
- 100 grams of sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- For the filling:
- All the custard
- 200 grams of ricotta
- Juice of 1 lemon
- For the glaze:
- 1/2 beaten egg
- Granulated sugar to taste
- Instructions
- Prepare the short crust pastry. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and softened butter well. Add the lightly beaten eggs. Mix gently until the mixture is no longer sticky. Roll out the mixture and cover it with cellophane. Place it to rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- Meanwhile, prepare the custard. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and lemon zest to a boil. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the hot milk and stir until well combined. Return the mixture to the heat and bring the cream to a simmer, stirring constantly with a whisk. Once ready, remove the lemon zest and place it in a covered container to chill in the refrigerator. Once cooled, whisk briefly again to make it workable, then add the ricotta and the lemon juice.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Roll out half the pastry between two sheets of baking paper. Roll out the other half between two more sheets of baking paper. Refrigerate for about ten minutes to cool again.
- In a buttered and floured tart pan, place the well-cold disk of short crust pastry. Prick the base with a fork. Pour in the custard on top and Use the other disk to make the strips to decorate the tart.
- Beat half the remaining egg and brush the surface of the tart with it, dusting it with a teaspoon of sugar on the decoration.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about fifty minutes, or until the surface is nicely browned.
Tips to ensure the success of the dish:
- Work the pastry only a little, but until it no longer sticks to your hands.
- Add the ricotta to the cream when it’s cooled.
- For an even more delicious result, you can substitute mascarpone for the ricotta.
- Baking times are approximate, as each oven bakes differently. The pastry shouldn’t darken too much.
- Store in the refrigerator.
