Pasta Dessert Tart

Torta alla Pasta

Mary Ann Esposito

CRUST

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup King Arthur™ Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer until smooth. Add flour and mix by hand until blended. Press dough along the bottom and up the sides of a 10 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

You may make this tart with or without a crust. If not using a crust, bake your tart in a solid bottom tart dish or a pie dish.

FILLING

4 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained (leftover pasta is fine)
1 cup milk (for richer filling, use Half & Half)
6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 medium apples, grated
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (substitution of dried cranberries or raisins is fine)
1/2 cup plus ¼ cup sliced almonds

Cinnamon sugar (optional)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries or peaches (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Combine milk, butter, sugar and eggs. Grate apples into mixture. Add almond flavoring, dried sour cherries and 1/2 cup almonds. (If using optional fresh fruit, add it here.) Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Pour into the prepared tart crust or the solid tart pan.

If you wish, sprinkle the top with about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit, if desired. For a special occasion, make pasta flowers to decorate the top of the tart.

If you wish to use a 9-inch tart pan, reduce pasta to 3 ounces of dried pasta, milk to 3/4 cup, sugar to 1/3 cup and butter to 5 1/2 tablespoons.

For Diabetics or low sugar diets, substitute another apple for all sugar or add only 1/4 cup.

item recipe is featured in Episode 0 of Season 0.

Want More Recipes? See My Latest Book:

Ciao Italia Family Classics

Mary Ann returns to her family's humble beginnings to bring us a treasure trove of more than 200 time-honored recipes.

Buy it now from Amazon for just $24.00

A Testimonial From Mario Batali:

This collection epitomizes the tradition and love that goes into all of Mary Ann Esposito's cooking. Like her award-winning TV series, this book will live on for years with all of those who cook her delicious recipes. My kids love everything Mary Ann cooks!"

by Category

What you're saying...

My grandma and grandpa were from Italy and I miss the cooking. When I watch your show it brings me home again.

— Karen

Hello!!
Let me tell you just how much my family loved your recipe"Whole Wheat Penne with Meat Sauce".
The sauce was so rich, I was astonished at the flavor. Thanks again for such a great dish.

JUST LIKE GRANDMA USED TO MAKE, BRAVO!!!!

— Carolyne

We loved Eggs in Purgatory. I think you are the bomb! I love watching your show on PBS and looking up your recipes online. THANK YOU

— Scott

I have been watching you for years Mary Ann, and my husband any I admire you as a very hard working lady, and we always say I would eat that because you know if Mary Ann made it, it's good.

— Suzanne

The amazing Mary Ann has done it again! Easy, always delicious and reminiscent of family times eating together, enjoying the food and each other. It doesn't get any better than that!

— Patricia

I grew-up watching my mother watch your show, and now I watch it! I enjoy when you speak of your family traditions and recipes. I come from a Spanish Catholic Family of 11 not counting my parents! So Mary Ann, very much like you; Family,Food and Tradition went hand in hand. My Favorite food to eat is not Spanish Food, it is Italian Food! My Brother's & Sisters love me to cook spaghetti with both sausages and meatballs! Thank You for all you do!

— Theresa

Hi Mary Ann. OMG!Your Pistachio Dusted Pork Chops were to die for! We loved them, they were a big hit, and they are definitely worth repeating. My husband thought he wouldn't like the pears & dried apricots but they were d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! His 88 yr old father, who is originally from Nicolosi, thought that I served him too much but he cleaned up his plate! Love you, love your show, love your spunk and no nonsense, professional approach to cooking. Thank you for teaching us about Italy and giving us so many wonderful cooking tips!

— Sandra