Boccione, the famous bakery of the Roman Ghetto, is known for its two ricotta crostatas, one with chocolate chips and one with sour cherry jam, but the latter is by far the more iconic and successful. If you ever visit the Ghetto, you should absolutely try the original, but until then, the homemade version will surely keep you satisfied.

If you can’t find sour cherry jam, you can make the crostata with regular cherry jam; it will taste slightly different, but it will still be delicious.

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Method:

• To make the crust, in a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, butter, and lemon zest to obtain a crumbly mix. Turn the mixture out into a bowl, add the egg and yolk, and mix with your hands until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and let rest in the fridge for an hour.
• To make the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, and eggs until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Cover and set aside in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• When the dough has rested, divide it into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the other. Transfer the larger piece to a well-floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a round about 3mm thick. Fit it into a 25 cm pie dish. Trim the edges, and knead the scraps into the remaining piece of dough.
• Spread the jam over the dough, then cover it with the ricotta filling.
• For the lattice top, roll the second piece of dough out on a well-floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Cut the dough into strips about 1cm wide. Arrange the strips over the top of the filling to form a simple but tight lattice top. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
• Bake the crostata for 30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool completely. Serve the crostata at room temperature or briefly chilled, as you prefer. The crostata keeps well in the fridge, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to a week.

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Recipe adapted from: Cooking Alla Guidia: A Celebration of the Jewish Food of Italy (Artisan)