The Cultural Dish: Apple Crostata

Fall is officially here, so let the apple and pumpkin filled posts begin! Since I always end up overloading on apple pies, crumbles, and crisps, I decided that for this weeks post on the FN Dish Blog, I would make a crostata.

A crostata is an Italian baked tart that resembles an open faced pie. There are so many ways that you can make a crostata - like my Blueberry Crostata recipe that you can find here. However, since it is fall and we are all overloading on apples, I decided to make this fairly quick and easy apple crostata that can satisfy your apple cravings!

Apple Crostata

Ingredients

Crust (Makes 2 small crusts):

-2 cups all-purpose flour

-1/4 cup sugar

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced

-6 tablespoons ice water

-1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water for egg wash

Filling (enough for both small crusts or one large crust):

-3 to 4 apples peeled and sliced thin (I used Gala, but you can use whatever type of apple you like best)

-2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

-1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional - if you do not use cornstarch, your crostata will just be extra juicy and runny)

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

-Splash of lemon juice to prevent apples from browning

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together. Slowly add in the butter until the mixture begins to crumble together. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. You may not need all 6 tablespoons, so make sure to only add the water a little at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into two equal sized pieces. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. I made two crostata's so I left both mounds of my dough in the fridge, but if you are only making one, then you can keep the extra dough in the freezer until ready to use.

While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Then, mix the apples in a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. If your apples start to brown a little, then splash in a little lemon juice.

When the dough is ready, roll it out on a prepared pan into a circle and pour the apple filling in the middle. You can create a pattern with the apples or just dump them all in, which is what I usually do! After all, this is a more rustic, fall recipe!

Leave two inches from the edge of the dough so that you have enough room to fold the dough over at the edges. Fold and pleat the dough all the way around so that everything is sealed. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle some more sugar over the top of the whole crostata.

Place the crostata into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is a nice golden brown and the apples are fork tender and the juices are bubbling. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!