Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata

The perfect way to showcase beautiful rhubarb from your garden combined with fresh strawberries for the perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors. This rustic, free-form Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata is one of the easiest tarts you’ll ever make! Planting season is finally here! This unpredictable weather has been hard to deal with lately. I was holding back on planting my garden for a while since the danger of frost was still lurking, but I finally got around to it. On the other hand, my rhubarb plant exploded seemingly overnight!   

Last week, I was short on time so I prepared a quick and easy Rhubarb Applesauce with the first rhubarb that I picked. It was devoured in minutes! This week I decided on this beautiful Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata.  

Why is crostata so easy to make?

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not crazy about making pie dough. So if you’re like me you’ll love making crostatas!

First, the dough is made entirely in my food processor and takes only two minutes to make.

And, if you’re intimidated by pastry and making beautifully crimped pie edges, you don’t have to worry about this when it comes to a crostata. This free form dessert has a beautiful rustic look that requires little expertise.  Simply fold the dough over the filling and you’re done!

In fact, I enjoy making crostatas so much that I have a few other recipes that you must try such as  Fig Jam, Ricotta and Pistachio Crostata as well as Savoury Butternut Squash, Leek and Goat Cheese Crostata.

I wish I could include in this post the wonderful aroma that filled my home as it was baking. The crust is so buttery, flaky and lightly sweetened and contrasts perfectly with the tart flavour of the rhubarb. You also know that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so I kept my sugar at a minimum, only 1/2 cup.  But you can easily increase to 2/3 cup if you prefer a sweeter filling.

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.

How to make Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata

Prepare the dough: Begin by making the crostata dough with your food processor.  Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl and mix.  Add cold, cubed butter and pulse until the butter breaks down to the size of peas. With the motor running, add ice cold water through the tube feed and mix until a ball of dough forms and wraps itself around the blade.

Remove from the food processor, shape into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Prepare the filling: While the dough is resting, prepare the filling by combining chopped rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.

To assemble: After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a well floured surface use your rolling pin to roll the dough into a 14 inch circle. It does not have to be perfectly shaped. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Place the rhubarb strawberry filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border. Fold the dough over the filling, gently pleating it into a circular shape.  Brush the dough with a beaten egg. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to a serving plate. Let cool before serving.

Tips and suggestions:

• For the perfect dough, make sure your butter is cold and you are using ice-cold water (water with ice cubes in it).
• If you prefer a sweeter filling, increase the amount of sugar to 2/3 cup.
• Some of the juices from the fruit may leak while baking, this is normal.  Once the crostata has cooled it, the juices will have completely thickened and it will be easy to serve.
• Use a spatula to carefully slide the crostata onto a serving plate.
• Enjoy warm along with a scoop of ice cream or chilled.

Can crostata dough be made without a food processor?

• If you don’t have a food processor the dough can be easily prepared by hand. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Add the cubed butter and use your finger tips to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles a crumbly mixture.  Add the water and shape into a dough.  Proceed as  outlined above. 

Now that you’ve seen how easy it is to make crostatas, I invite all of you to give it a try.  If you try out this easy recipe, let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. And don’t forget to Pin the recipe for later.  Buon appetito!