Italian custard pie

Method

1. First, make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks, 50g flour, milk, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring continuously with a spatula, for 10 minutes or until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir the chopped white chocolate into the hot custard and mix until it has melted and the custard is smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. Put the flour for the pastry in a mixing bowl, then add the butter and a pinch of salt and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Form a well in the centre of the mixture, then put the sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest in it. Briefly mix everything together by hand to form a smooth dough, adding a little extra cold water if it feels too dry (try to avoid working the pastry for too long, as you’ll melt the butter – no one wants greasy pastry). Wrap the dough in cling film, then put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes (or see Make Ahead).
3. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and grease a 23cm diameter fluted tart tin with butter. Divide the dough in half, then, on a floured surface, roll each piece into a 25cm disc using a rolling pin. Line the base and sides of the tin with one of the discs, pressing gently to fix it in place. Trim off any excess.
4. Pour in the cold custard, then cover with the second pastry disc. Pinch the edges together with your fingers to seal the pie, trimming off excess pastry as necessary. Sprinkle over the pine nuts, then bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the pine nuts are well toasted.
5. Remove the pie from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove from the tin, shave or grate over some white chocolate to decorate, then slice and serve.

Recipe from As the Romans Do: Authentic and reinvented recipes from the Eternal City by Eleonora Galasso