Angel Hair Tart (Torta di Capelli d’Angelo)

Pasta in a dessert tart? Yes, of course. What is pasta after all? Just wheat. But what a lovely textural surprise this tart offers with cake crumb in the center and a little chew and crunch on the outer edges. And talk about flexibility! I’ve turned this one inside out, and so can you.

I’ve had the cookbook The Renaissance of Italian Cooking  by Lorenza de’Medici for many years. It’s gorgeously photographed, and has interesting history, stories, and recipes from an aristocratic era gone by, including a version of an angel hair pasta tart (Torta di Capelli d’Angelo). But do you ever look forward to something so much that you intentionally put it off for a while to avoid potential disappointment? That’s what I did with this tart, which originates from central northern Italy (Emilia Romagna). I’d been looking at the recipe for well over a decade and finally decided, “this is the day!” and made it.

The original recipe was easy. It was unique. And I had most of the ingredients already, anyway. But my apprehension was somewhat justified. The result was just, “ok…” It was a little flavorless. However, it had enough intrigue for me to give it an overhaul while keeping its spirit intact.

I got it right by making process simplifications (Did I really need to separate eggs and dirty extra bowls as the original called for? No!). And I made ingredient adjustments and additions (Did I really need to add spices and extra flavorings? Yes!). The baking time and temperature was also too long and hot, so I updated those, too.

This is a soft tart perfect for breakfast or with coffee or tea. It slices beautifully. Try it with candied and/or dried fruit. Use any type of nuts (or no nuts) that you prefer. As I said, you can turn this inside out to make it your own.

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