Italian Crostata Recipe (with Strawberries)

This Italian crostata recipe is one of those timeless desserts I make year after year. A buttery pasta frolla crust filled with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, it's simple, traditional, and exactly how crostata is enjoyed in Italy.

If you love this Italian crostata recipe, you'll also love my Strawberry and Ricotta Tart (Crostata di Fragole e Ricotta) and classic Mango Crostata, both made with the same buttery pasta frolla base.

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Jump To

• What Is an Italian Crostata?
• Why This Strawberry Crostata Is a Family Favorite
• Ingredient Notes
• How I Make My Italian Crostata
• Top Tips for the Best Italian Crostata
• Here are some more delectable Italian crostata recipes you have to try!!
• Italian Crostata Recipe (Strawberry Crostata)

We just can't wait for strawberry season to arrive in Florida, and lucky for us, it lasts for months. This Strawberry Crostata is the perfect spring dessert filled with sweet strawberries.

If you're looking for an authentic Italian crostata recipe, this is it. Crostata is not meant to be overly sweet or complicated. It's a rustic Italian tart, often served for breakfast, an afternoon coffee break, or as a light dessert after dinner.

Here in Florida, strawberry season lasts for months, which means there are usually two pints of strawberries in my refrigerator at any given time. I use them for everything from strawberry panna cotta to smoothies, but this strawberry crostata is the one I make most often.

What Is an Italian Crostata?

An Italian crostata is a traditional tart made with pasta frolla, a sweet shortcrust pastry made from flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Unlike American pie crusts, which can include shortening or extra liquid, a true Italian crostata recipe uses all butter for a tender, crumbly texture.

Pasta frolla is incredibly versatile. It's used to make crostate filled with fruit preserves, fresh fruit, pastry cream, ricotta, or even chocolate. The same dough is also used to make Italian cookies.

This strawberry crostata follows the classic method: a thin layer of jam on the base and fresh fruit baked gently on top.

Why This Strawberry Crostata Is a Family Favorite

This is my son's favorite crostata, which says a lot. He's very traditional when it comes to desserts and prefers things made the way his Nonna Teresa makes them. When I experiment too much, he calls them "random desserts," so I kept this crostata exactly the way he loves it.

It's the same strawberry crostata we enjoy when visiting family in Italy during the summer. Simple, familiar, and comforting.

Ingredient Notes

• Pastry flour: Gives the pasta frolla its tender, crumbly texture. All-purpose flour can be used if needed, but the crust will be slightly firmer.
• Unsalted butter: Use cold, unsalted butter for the best texture. Cold butter helps create a delicate Italian crostata crust without greasiness.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar lightly sweetens the dough without overpowering the filling, keeping the crostata balanced.
• Egg and egg yolk: Using one whole egg plus an extra yolk adds richness and structure while keeping the dough tender.
• Strawberry jam: Choose a good-quality jam with minimal added sugar so the fruit flavor shines through.
• Fresh strawberries: Use ripe, fresh strawberries and slice them evenly so they bake uniformly over the jam.

How I Make My Italian Crostata

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Add the pastry flour and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times until combined.

Step 2: Add the butter

Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand with small crumbs. Stop before it turns into a paste.

Step 3: Add the egg and yolk

Add the whole egg and egg yolk. Pulse 5 to 7 times, just until the dough starts to clump and form.

Step 4: Form and chill the dough

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 5: Roll out the pasta frolla

Roll the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap into a 13-inch round, about ⅛-inch thick.

Step 6: Fit the dough into the tart pan

Spray an 11-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Drape the dough into the pan and gently press it into the base and sides. Patch any tears.

Step 7: Trim and chill again

Trim off excess dough and save it for the lattice strips. Chill the tart shell for 30 minutes.

Step 8: Prick the base

Remove from the fridge and prick the base a few times with a fork so it bakes evenly.

Step 9: Fill the crostata

Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the base, then arrange the sliced strawberries on top.

Step 10: Make the lattice topping

Roll out the reserved dough to ⅛-inch thickness, cut into strips, and place them over the crostata in a lattice pattern.

Step 11: Bake

Bake at 375°F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Step 12: Cool and serve

Let the crostata cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing so the filling sets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Top Tips for the Best Italian Crostata

• Keep everything cold. Cold butter and chilled dough are key for a tender, crumbly pasta frolla. If the dough softens, refrigerate it again before continuing.
• Do not overprocess the dough. Pulse just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will make the crostata tough instead of delicate.
• Use good-quality jam. A less-sweet strawberry jam lets the fruit flavor shine and keeps the crostata balanced.
• Slice the strawberries evenly. Uniform slices bake more evenly and give the crostata a cleaner look.
• Chill before baking. Chilling the filled crostata helps the crust hold its shape in the oven.
• Let it cool before slicing. The filling sets as it cools, making the crostata easier to slice and serve neatly.
• Bake until golden, not pale. A properly baked crostata should be golden brown for the best flavor and texture.

Here are some more delectable Italian crostata recipes you have to try!!

• Cranberry Crostata
• Blueberry Crostata
• Strawberry and Apple Crostata
• Ricotta and Chocolate Chip Crostata
• Mango Crostata
• Apple and Orange Marmalade Crostata
• Nutella Crostata

Make sure you wait until the crostata cools down a little bit before taking that first slice. I hardly ever get a photo of one sliced because once you start a slice, it disappears pretty quickly!

I hope you are finally enjoying some beautiful cool temperatures and appreciate you stopping by! Happy Monday and Happy baking! xo

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slightly updated from Sept 2016

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