I Tried Ina Garten’s Favorite Spring Dessert and It’s Absolute Perfection

At Kitchn, we’re proud fans of Ina Garten’s recipes, from her cozy one-pot rigatoni to her cauliflower toast. And now I have a new favorite Ina recipe: raspberry rhubarb crostata. I think it’ll be your new favorite, too.

Recently, Ina took to Instagram to announce this crostata as her favorite spring dessert. “The rhubarb is tart, the raspberries are sweet, and it all comes together in a buttery crisp crust,” writes Ina. As soon as fresh rhubarb was available, I picked some up, marched into my kitchen, and got right to work. Soon after, I was rewarded with a fresh, fruity, and gorgeously pink dessert that, with some simple prep work, is easy enough to pull off on a weeknight. 

First, Ina walks you through making the crust. Simply combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and very cold cubed butter in a food processor and pulse until the butter is broken down into pea-size pieces. With the motor running, drizzle in ice water and continue to pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface, split in half, and shape into round disks. Wrap well and refrigerate for an hour. (The recipe makes two crusts, but you can easily freeze the extra one — you’ll thank yourself later). 

The filling comes together on the stove. Add chopped rhubarb, fresh raspberries, granulated sugar, and orange zest and juice to a pot and heat until some of the fruits’ juices are released. Stir in a cornstarch slurry, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Pull the filling from the heat and chill for 30 minutes. 

Once the filling is cool, roll out the crust into a large circle and scrape the filling into the center. Then, fold the crust up around the edges, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until the filling is thickened and the crust is golden-brown. Ina says the crostata is best served warm or at room temperature. 

If you’re a fan of sweet-tart fruit, this crostata is right up your alley. Each zingy bite is brimming with juicy rhubarb and raspberries. What pushes this crostata over the top is the buttery, crisp crust it’s encased in. Strewn with turbinado sugar, the airy, crunchy crust serves as a textural counterpoint to the soft, glossy filling it’s paired with. I helped myself to a slice, then immediately went back for seconds. 

This lovely, light dessert would be right at home on any dinner table, whether it’s served after a weeknight meal or to weekend guests as part of a larger spread. It would be especially delicious with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

• Split up the process to make it more manageable. I chose to make the crostata over the span of two days. I made the crust the day before and kept it in the fridge overnight, then I made the filling, rolled out the crust, and baked the crostata off the next day. 
• Sprinkle the crust liberally with turbinado sugar. Its crunchy-sugary goodness is what makes this crostata shine. 

Get the recipe: Raspberry Rhubarb Crostata