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Italian ricotta Easter tart with creamy filling, citrus zest, and hidden chocolate baked in a golden shortcrust pastry

Italian Ricotta Easter Tart

This Italian Ricotta Easter Tart combines a crisp shortcrust pastry with a silky, baked ricotta filling enriched with citrus zest, candied peel, and Marsala-soaked sultanas. Hidden pieces of chocolate melt through the filling, creating a grown-up Easter egg hunt in every slice. Balanced in sweetness and texture, this tart delivers a creamy centre, crisp base, and bursts of flavour—perfect for festive baking and sharing.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 serves
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Baking, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Short Crust Pasty
  • 250 g Unsalted Butter cut into pieces (Note 1.)
  • 125 g Castor Sugar
  • 1 Egg 70g
  • 375 g Plain Flour
  • Bakers flour dusting
Ricotta Filling
  • 400 g Ricotta (Note 2)
  • 80 g Castor Sugar
  • 70 g Cream
  • 1 egg 70g
  • 2 egg yolks 70g
  • 20 g vanilla paste
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1 Orange zest
  • 60 g Sultanas
  • 40 g Cointreau
  • 50 g Candied peel
  • 100 g dark couverture chocolate 45-55% (Note 3.)
  • 20 g Cocoa Nibs
Icing Sugar
  • 40 g Icing Sugar for dusting
olive oil
  • 40 ml Olive oil for the tin

Equipment

  • 1 fluted tart tin removeable base 22 cm
  • 1 Oven
  • 1 Stand Mixer flat paddle
  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Stand Mixer Whisk
  • 1 refrigerator
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 knife
  • 1 step palette knife
  • 1 Fork for docking
  • 1 Bowl
  • 1 pastry scraper
  • 1 zester
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 Flour Sieve

Method
 

Pastry
  1. Add the butter and sugar to the stand mixer with a flat beater and combine
  2. Now add the egg and half mix
  3. Add in the flour and mix to combine. Don't over Mix
  4. Take out of the mixer and block into a square. Wrap and rest into the refrigerator for 20 minutes
  5. Oil the sides and Bottom lightly with oil.
  6. Preheat the oven 180C
  7. Lightly dust the bench and roll out to 4mm thickness all the way
  8. Line the tin by rolling the pastry onto the rolling pin ensuring to flour the top of the pastry first
  9. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides trying not to stretch the pastry and dock the bottom.
  10. Trim the top and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  11. Now par bake for a light golden brown
  12. Cool completely
Filling
  1. Soak the sultanas in warm water for 10 minutes and tip out water
  2. Soak sultanas in Cointreau and set aside
  3. Mix the ricotta in a stand mixer with a whisk on a medium speed until smooth 30 seconds or so
  4. Add sugar and cream to the ricotta along with the egg, egg yolks,Vanilla, Lemon zest and Orange zest and mix again just to incorporate.
  5. Mix until the mixture resembles thickened cream.
  6. Drain the sultanas and pout the Marsala into the ricotta mixture and whisk again .
Filling the tart
  1. Spoon half the ricotta mix into the base of the tart
  2. Scatter with sultanas,orange peel,chocolate and cocoa nibs and then spoon the remaining ricotta filling over the top and smooth with a spatula
Bake and Finish
  1. Bake for 45 minutes until the top has tuned a slightly golden colour and the centre bounces back when you gently press it with your fingers
  2. Remove from the oven and cool completely
  3. Dust with icing sugar

Video

Notes

Note 1-Cut butter  into small cubes and leave out the night to soften if possible or microwave 10 seconds at a time until finger soft (do not melt)
Note 2-Use a firm ricotta cheese.La casa Del Formaggio is a firm dry texture and my favourite. However the Ricotta smooth and creamy from the supermarket will work well too.
Note 3-Couverture chocolate 45-55% is ideal but you will still get good results with dark baking chocolate