Here is the second part of the Italian night meal – Ricotta and Sultana Tart.

Torta di Ricotta e Uvetta (Ricotta and Sultana Tart)

Serves 8

50g sultanas
5 tablespoons Marsala
185g flour
120g unsalted butter
80g caster sugar
2 egg yolks
grated rind of 1 lemon
350g ricotta cheese
25g breadcrumbs

1. Put the sultanas in a small saucepan, pour in the Marsala and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Sift the flour into a mound, make a well in the centre, add the butter, 50g of the sugar, one of the egg yolks and half the lemon rind and mix well.

3. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap and leave to stand for1 hour. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius, grease and dust a 22.5cm tart tin.

4. Drain the sultanas and squeeze out. Beat the remaining egg yolk with the remaining sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then add the ricotta, breadcrumbs, sultanas and remaining lemon rind.

5. Halve the pastry and roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick round. Line the tin.

6. Sprinkle the ricotta mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from the oven and cool.

I dusted with icing sugar and served the tart with honey greek yoghurt.

I was a bit disappointed with this to be honest – the recipe has sultanas soaked in Marsala wine, so I had visions of juicy, plump, Marsala infused sultanas, but I found the taste didn’t quite come through.  Still it was pretty easy to make, and lighter than a heavy cheesecake. I’d make it again, maybe as a summertime tart and add lots of strawberries as an accompaniment.

Recipe from “The Silver Spoon” which is the Italian cooking bible – over 2000 recipes and more than 1 million copies sold worldwide.  Highly recommended if you’re into Italian food!