Torta Della Nonna

Method

1. First, make the pastry. Put the plain flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and whizz until it resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly add the egg yolks. If the mixture looks too dry, drizzle in 1-2 tbsp cold water. Tip out onto your work surface and gently knead together. Flatten the pastry into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod into the milk, then add the pod too. When the mixture just starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.

3. Beat the egg yolks, sugar and flour with an electric whisk for 5-10 mins until pale and mousse-like. Remove the vanilla pod from the cooled milk and steadily pour over the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the custard mixture into a clean saucepan and heat over a medium-low heat for 10 mins, whisking constantly, until it is very thick. Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a wide dish. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent the custard from forming a skin. Set aside to cool while you prepare the pastry case.

5. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Roll out the pastry between two pieces of baking parchment to make it easier, and line a 24cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 mins. Line the tart case with foil or baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Carefully remove the baking beans and foil or parchment, then return to the oven for 5-10 mins until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack while you finish the filling.

6. Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Beat the custard with the ricotta, orange zest and chocolate until just combined and spread evenly in the tart shell. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and bake for 35-40 mins – the filling will still be quite wobbly but will firm up as it cools. Chill for at least 3 hrs, or overnight. Dust with icing sugar to serve.