Pasta Flora - Greek Jam Tart

Pasta flora is a traditional Greek dessert that’s commonly found in Greece. I fondly remember my mom making it when I was a child, using whatever jam we had on hand, and my dad savoring a slice with his morning coffee.

This Greek jam tart recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, and you’ll find detailed instructions for creating the perfect buttery pastry. It’s sweet, crumbly, and wonderfully aromatic thanks to the orange zest. You can serve it as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream after a meal, or enjoy a slice with your morning coffee or tea.

Origin of pasta flora

Pasta flora or Pasta Frolla as it is called in Italy is a tart made with a shortcrust pastry, usually filled in with jam and has a lattice top. It’s a popular dessert in Italy, Argentina, Egypt and Greece and it was probably introduced to all these countries by italian immigrants.

Why you should try my recipe

• Easy steps to follow to make the perfect pasta flora.
• Instructions with or without a food processor.
• How to make the pasta flora using mini tart tins or a big tin.
• Perfect for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions.

Ingredients & How-to

To make the pasta flora we are going to use some all-purpose flour, eggs, sugar, jam or jelly, butter, orange (zest + juice), baking powder and vanilla extract.

1. Preparing the dough

01. To start, I add the dry ingredients to a bowl or food processor, the sugar, baking powder and flour. If you don’t have a food processor, that is absolutely fine, I often make the dough with just using my hands. Watch the video at the end of the page to see how to make it without a food processor.

02. Now it’s time to add the butter. I’m using cold butter, straight from the fridge, which is essential for achieving that breadcrumb texture needed for a light pastry. I roughly cut it into cubes and then add it to the food processor or bowl.

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03. If you are using a food processor, then give it a couple of spins until the butter is broken down and the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. If you are using your hands, then start rubbing the butter with the dry ingredients until it’s all incorporated and you get a breadcrumb like mixture.

04. Now it’s time to add the wet ingredients. I’m adding one egg, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, the zest of an orange and two tablespoons of orange juice. You could mix them with a spatula until it forms a dough or with the food processor.

05. I wrap the dough with some cling film and put it in the fridge to rest and get firm for about 30 minutes. This will help us roll the dough into shape and make the pasta flora base.

2. Assembling

01. Now that the dough has rested and is firm, I take it out of the fridge and cut it into two pieces using a dough scraper or a knife. I’m using ⅔ for the bottom of the tart and the rest to lace the top.

02. I place the large piece of dough between parchment paper and roll it out into a circle. This recipe for pasta flora is for a tart tin of 9 inches size, or smaller ones of 4 inches. Then I remove the top parchment paper and place it inside the tart tin or if I’m using the smaller tart tins, I cut it first into small circles and place each one in the individual tin. Since this pastry is quite buttery, I find that I don’t have to brush the tin sides with any butter. However, if you are using a tin or a pan that is not non-stick and doesn’t have a removable bottom, I recommend brushing with a little bit of butter.

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03.If the dough tears while you’re transferring it to the tin, don’t worry! Simply press it back together with your fingers, and it won’t impact the final result at all, I promise. I trim any excess pastry from the edges and then prick the bottom with a fork. This allows steam to escape, preventing it from building up under the pastry, and ensures even cooking.

04. Now, I’m adding the jam on top and spread it around evenly. You could use any type of jam you like, I like to use with strawberry or apricot jam. For the top layer, I’m rolling the remaining dough into a circle again. Then with a knife, I cut it into long strips of 1cm width and I’m going to use them to make a lattice top. You could be creative here and decorate the top as you like!

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05. Finally, I brush the strips on top with an egg wash, which will give the pasta flora a beautiful golden brown color once it’s baked.

06. Instead of a lattice, you can also decorate the top of the pasta flora with shapes made using cookie cutters. As before, roll out the remaining dough into a circle and cut it into shapes to decorate the tart. If you opt for mini tarts instead of a large tart tin, remember that they will need less time in the oven due to their smaller size—around 15-20 minutes should be enough to bake and get a nice color.

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Serving suggestions

We usually have a slice of pasta flora in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea or in the afternoon. You could also serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that really compliments the flavors.

Storage

I recommend storing the pasta flora at room temperature, covered with a lid, and consume it within a week.

FAQ

• What can I do with leftover pastry? If you have any leftover pastry, then you could freeze it for another time or make mini tarts and fill them with a tablespoon of jam. As the pastry already has some sugar in it, you could also use it to make biscuits.

• How can I make the jam tart dairy-free? For a dairy-free version of pasta flora, you could substitute the butter with a dairy-free one of your choice.

• What type of jam can I use for pasta flora? Usually, you can find pasta flora with strawberry or apricot jam but you could use any type of jam you like and have available at home.