Grandmother’s Tart (Torta della Nonna)
This deceptively simple dessert—a rich, creamy custard filling topped with pine nuts and lined with a rich pasta frolla, or short pastry—has long been a fixture of the Roman trattoria menu. Delicate ivory pinoli, the seeds of the stone pine, native to the Mediterranean, are encased in hard, dark shells attached to the outside of the pine cones found in profusion in the pineti (pine woods) around the city. This recipe, which adds the finely grated zest of a whole lemon to the custard, is, like the torta di ricotta (see related recipes to the left), inspired by the dolci of gifted pasticciere Enrico Licata at La Piazzetta.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 10 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Pine Nut | 1 oz (28g) | 191 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
- 2⁄3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Dash of vanilla extract (essence)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 13⁄4 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 egg yolks
- 1⁄8 teaspoon vanilla extract (essence)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1⁄4 cup pine nuts