RICOTTA & VERMICELLI TORTA
For The Pastry
- 225g of unsalted butter, straight from the fridge
- 4 egg yolks, 450g of plain flour
- 175g of caster sugar
- Extra flour for dusting
For the filling
- 450g of ricotta
- 115 caster sugar
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp of cinnamon, 4 tbsp of vanilla essence
- 115g of candied orange or mixed peel (orange & cedro, you will find in David Jones)
- 1 egg separated, 550ml of milk
- 175g of vermicelli
- Pinch of salt, Icing sugar for dusting
- 28cm loose-bottomed flan tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 190 C
To make the pastry:
- Cut the cold butter into small pieces and keep rubbing it with the flour.
- Make a well with the flour butter mixture.
- Add the yolks and sugar in the middle. Mix the yolk with the sugar and then start adding the flour / butter through it.
- Do not forget you should never overwork a pasta frolla. Or, you can use a food processor, starting with flour butter, then adding the other ingredients until a dough is formed.
To make the filling
- Put the ricotta, sugar (reserve 2 tbsp), half the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla essence, cinnamon, candied peel & the egg yolk in a bowl & beat together.
- In a pan bring the milk to the boil. Add the vermicelli, the remaining sugar and lemon zest. Add a generous pinch of salt and let the vermicelli absorb nearly all the milk.
- While it is still warm, blend the pasta carefully into the ricotta mixture. Whisk the egg white until it holds its shape, then fold into the mixture.
- Roll the pastry and use two-thirds to line your tin.
- This is a very short crust pastry but you can patch it very easily.
- Add the filling.
- Cut the remaining pastry into strips and arrange in a lattice pattern over the top of the tart.
- Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Serve warm or cold.