recipe serves: 6

Rhubarb Crostata

Ingredients
Dough
1¼ cup self rising flour
½ Tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup ice water
 
Filling
2 ¾ cup rhubarb, diced
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
 
1 Tbsp butter
½ tsp sugar
 
vanilla ice cream
 


Preparation steps:
  1. In a large bowl mix by hand (using disposal gloves) the flour, sugar, salt, butter and ice water. Mix well until the ingredients are fully blended.
  2. Form 3 balls of dough. Cover the balls with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
  3. On floured surface roll out each dough ball into 7-inch rounds. Place the 3 rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Just before you are ready to assemble the crostatas, prepare the rhubarb filling (If prepared ahead of time, the rhubarb mix would release liquids, which would leak from the crostatas and burn during baking). Start preparing the rhubarb filling after the dough rounds are ready to be assembled on the baking sheet.
    In a medium size bowl toss the rhubarb with sugar and cornstarch.
  5. Divide the filling among the 3 rounds. Mound the rhubarb mix in the center of each round leaving 1½-2 inch border of dough around the edges.
    Fold the dough up around the mound of rhubarb mix. Most of the rhubarb mix stays uncovered.
  6. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in the microwave and brush the top part of the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle ½ tsp of sugar on the dough (for a hint of sweetness).
  7. Bake at 400F for 21-25 minutes in the middle or top shelf in the oven.
Serving: Cut each crostata into two pieces and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Personal notes
This recipe is inspired by a crostata I had at the "Communal" restaurant in Provo, UT. Since I never had crostata or rhubarb before, I was curious to try it. This dessert was so good, that I immediately searched dozens of rhubarb recipes when I got home to develop this crostata recipe. Rhubarb, which is a spring and early summer vegetable, has a sour tart flavor that is nicely balanced by the sweet vanilla ice cream.
Picture of recipe


Take note!
  • Measurements:
    Butter: 1 stick = 4 oz
    Rhubarb: 2 ¾ cup = ¾ LB
    Get 4 medium size rhubarb sticks
    about 1 LB. After trimming the edges,
    it yields ¾ LB diced rhubarb.

  • Ice water - place the water in the
    freezer for 10 minutes before adding it
    to the dough.

  • You can bake the crostatas up to
    6 hours before serving.
    Leave the crostatas at room temperature
    and reheat for 5 minutes in the oven
    before serving.