Easy Italian Pie Crust Recipe
This Italian Pasta Frolla is the perfect base for any pie or tart. Made with butter and eggs, this flaky pie crust comes together in no time. The perfect pastry for pies, tarts and even simple cookies!
I was always considered the pie maker in the family. I would use one of my Mom’s pie crust recipes, either her simple Homemade Pie Dough or a tasty Brown Sugar Pastry, both are very good.
I like how they are easy to come together and have a delicious taste.
But when I came to Italy I had the luck of trying the very popular Crostata, which is made with a Pasta Frolla – Italian Pie Crust.
A very popular filling that Italians like to fill their crust with is either a good store bought jam or Nutella.
How to make Italian Pie Crust
This pastry recipe can be made 3 ways, by hand, with a food processor or a stand mixer. I prefer a food processor, but you decide.
- To start, whisk together the dry ingredients either in a large bowl, the bowl of the food processor or the bowl of a stand up mixer.
- Then add the egg and yolk and room temperature butter.
- Mix together, with either a fork, pulse or mix with the flat beater, until the dough is almost combined.
- Turn the mixture onto a slightly floured flat surface and gently work the mixture to form a soft dough.
- Wrap the pie crust in plastic and refrigerate.
- It is then ready to use in your favourite pie or tart recipe.
What is the difference between Pasta Frolla and Pie Dough?
The main difference is eggs, Italian pastry crust has butter, an egg, an egg yolk and baking powder. Whereas American pie crust is all butter or a mixture of butter and shortening.
How to Store Italian Pie Dough
The pastry dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing.
How to freeze Pie Crust
The dough can also be frozen, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer bag or an air tight container. It will keep in the freezer for about three months.
The dough should be thawed in the refrigerator, then roll it out as per your recipe instructions.
Adding different flavours to the Pie Crust
Italian pie crust is perfect for adding different flavours. Italians love to add orange or lemon zest to the dough. Or even seeds of a vanilla bean or other spices such as cinnamon.
What can you make with Italian Pie Crust
- Homemade Italian Apple Crostata
- Peach Filled Italian Crostata Bars
- Italian Lemon Crostata
- Italian Blueberry Crostata
- Pistachio Ricotta Pie
Where did Pie originate?
Pie apparently was invented by the Romans. The first published pie was a “a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie”. Sounds interesting.
So if you would like a change from your regular Pie Dough then I hope you give this Italian Pie Crust or Pasta Frolla a try. Enjoy!
Easy Italian Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup +2 tablespoon salted butter room temperature* (140 grams total)
*If you use unsalted butter then add 2 pinches of salt.
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar and baking powder in either a large bowl, the bowl of the food processor or the bowl of a stand up mixer.
- Add the egg and yolk and softened butter cut into pieces. Mix together, with either a fork, or pulse or mix with the flat beater, until the dough is almost combined.
- Turn the mixture onto a slightly floured flat surface and gently work the mixture to form a soft dough. Wrap the pie crust in plastic and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes before using. Enjoy!
it’s sort of funny, I grew up in California, in a northern Italian family, Osiglia, to be precise, and now I live in Calgary with my Canadian husband, I am hoping you or your MIL [who sounds like a dream come true to me] can help find a couple of recipes lost when my great aunt passed five years ago, as she never wrote anything down, one is a cookie she called [whatever the Italian word for liars is] because they look like they should be filled with something, but are not, the other is a chocolate pudding type dessert flavored with Frangelico ] called bunette [spelled phonetically, if the auto-correct stops adding an R] I would love to be able to have these beloved pieces of my childhood back and make them for my kids] but have had no luck in finding recipes for them or how to form gnocchi by rolling a square of dough on the back of a fork, as she did I spent hours doing this as a kid, but I’ve lost the knack now
Hi Lisa, I hear you are having a heat wave in Calgary now! What a difference from living in California! The part of Italy I am at, bugie are called frappe here, https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/frappe/, and gnocchi https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/gnocchi/. As far as the bunette goes, I could only discover what is called bunet or bonet from Piedmont, and it was with rum or amaretto (liquor), I guess your aunt used Frangelico because she liked it. Could that be it? Take care.
Hi, I really wanna try the recipe, but I only wanna make 2 pies, so I wanna know, when you say 2, do you mean an open pie or a pie with a top?
Hi Ana, this recipe makes 2 crusts, so it would be one pie with a bottom and top or two pies open (just a bottom and no top). Hope that helps. Take care!
why are the grams the same for the increased amounts of ingredients 2x’s, 3x’s etc.?
Hi Larry, I updated the post, so it works now. I’m updating posts to show this, remember though to double the tablespoons for the butter as that won’t show. Let me know.
Hi Rosemary
I only have unsalted butter,
How much salt should I add to make it salted butter
Or will it really make any difference in taste
Thank you
Hi L, I would add a couple of pinches of salt, salt will help with the flavour if you use unsalted. Let me know how it goes.
Can you tell how much butter do you use in grams for this receipe? Half of cup – its not clear for me. Thank you
Hi Anna, sorry about that I forgot to do the butter, so it would be 140 grams. Let me know how it goes. Have a great weekend.
I love making this pie so much!
Hi Vanessa, thanks so much, so glad you like it.
What heat should the oven be and how long is the baking time ?
Hi Yoshi, well if you make this recipe with the dough. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/crostata-italian-pie/ or you can bake it at 350F (180C) for about 20-25 minutes. Hope that helps.
Dear Rosemary, it was perfect and delicius 🙂 Thank you very much!
Thank Katalin, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
What was the temp you preheated the oven too and how long was the baking time and at what temperature?