Amanda's Torta della Nonna

Dear Devon and Michelle,

Devon, do you know that ancient-looking Italian coffee shop up the street from your apartment?  I used to go there for iced coffee - they chill it with shaved frozen coffee. Anyway, one time I was there and picked up a small tart with pine nuts on top. It was delicious and I’ve always wanted to know what it was called, and made of.  I’m not sure this is it but it didn’t disappoint.

To find the recipe I searched pine nut tart and came across this Torta Della Nonna, there are a variety different recipes, some with cream custard and some with ricotta. Mine uses ricotta and a lemon zest shortbread crust. Given the opportunity to make something with cheese... I had to make it with cheese.

Crust

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cups confectioners sugar

3 egg yolks

zest of 1/2 lemon

Custard

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

zest and juice from 1 lemon

3 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup pine nuts and an extra handful of pine nuts for topping

We don’t have a food processor so I cut the butter into the flour and sugar until the largest chunks were no bigger than a pea.  Next went in the egg yolks and zest, roughly incorporated and enough ice water added until the dough clumped together. I refrigerated the dough for about an hour, long enough to locate fresh ricotta and mix the custard.

I rolled out the crust enough to cover the bottoms and sides of a pie pan. A tart pan would be better, but I didn’t have one. I poured in the combined custard ingredients, topped with pine nuts and baked in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the custard was set.

My family called it a cheesecake, which it basically is. It was good room temperature the day-of, and equally good cold on the following days.  

                                                                                                                                                                 

Best, 

                       Amanda