Pastiera di ricotta (ricotta flan)

Method

1. For the pastry; cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and gradually stir in the flour, mixing well to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Wrap the pastry in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. For the filling; reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar for later use, and combine the remainder with the ricotta cheese, cinnamon, limoncello, orange-flower water, chocolate chips, candied peel and egg yolk.

3. Bring the milk to a boil and add the vermicelli, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and a pinch of salt. Simmer, until the vermicelli absorbs the milk - about 5-7 minutes. Blend the pasta into the ricotta mixture while still warm.

4. Whisk the egg white until it just holds its shape, and fold into the ricotta mixture.

5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use to line the bottom and sides of a 24cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Remove any excess from the edges of the tin with a rolling pin. Roll out any trimmings and cut into long strips about 0.5cm wide. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.

6. Pour the ricotta filling into the case. Lay the thin pastry strips over the flan, in a criss-cross pattern to make a lattice decoration.

7. Bake the flan for 40-50 minutes, until the filling is set and the pastry golden.
Dust with icing sugar, and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ingredients

For the pastry

225g unsalted Butter, softened
175g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

For the filling

115g caster sugar
450g Ricotta cheese
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Limoncello liqueur, to taste
4 tbsp orange flower water
200g dark chocolate chips
115g candied orange or mixed peel, chopped
1 egg, separated
550ml Milk
115g vermicelli
large pinch Salt
icing sugar, for dusting

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