Make the Pasta Frolla

Cup of Yum
1. Place the flour on a work surface and make a hole in the center. Pour the sugar, lemon zest (optional), salt and eggs at room temperature.
2. Mix then add the cold butter. Knead quickly until the dough is homogeneous and non-sticky.
3. Form a loaf, cover it with cling film and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Make the Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera)

1. In a saucepan mix the egg yolks with the sugar, using a wooden spoon. Then add the sifted flour a little bit at a time.
2. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is blended. Then set aside.
3. Heat the milk and bring it almost to a boil. Then remove it from the heat and start pouring slowly into the mixture of sugar, eggs and flour. It's very important to mix constantly.
4. Put on low heat and cook, always stirring, for another 3-4 minutes.
5. When the cream is well thickened, immediately pour it into a cold container. Cover the cream with cling film and let it cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Make the Tart Crust

1. Take the pasta frolla from the refrigerator and roll it out to a thickness of about ½ cm (¼ inch).
2. Place the pasta frolla in a tart mold, lined with baking paper. Preferably with the removable bottom, so you will not have difficulty to pull out the tart case once baked.
3. Cut off the excess edges of dough with the help of a rolling pin as in the pictures.
4. Prick the bottom of the tart crust with the prongs of a fork. Then place a sheet of baking paper on the tart crust case.
5. Add rice, beans or the special ceramic weights beans for tarts and pies. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350 F) for about 15 minutes.
6. Lift and remove the parchment paper with the weights and let the tart crust bake for another 5 minutes. Finally, take it out of the oven and let the tart crust cool completely.

Assemble the Preparations

1. Finally, only when the pastry shell is cold you can go ahead to fill your tart with pastry cream and fruit. First of all pour the cold pastry cream. You can do it with the pastry bag or with a spoon, leveling the cream very well.
2. Arrange strawberries and berries as you like: either in concentric circles or randomly, trying to meow the types and colors and covering the spaces well. Keep Italian fruit tart at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.