Apple Crostata

1. Slice the apples into very thin wedges, so that they will fan out nicely on the dough and cook evenly. To do this, I cut each apple in half, then in quarters. Keeping the quartered piece on its side, cut away the core at a diagonal. Then slice and set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Lay out a pie crust on a cutting board or directly onto the parchment paper and begin to arrange half of the apple slices in a circular fan pattern, leaving a couple inch border around the edge of the dough. I usually end up with about 3 “rings” of apples, and if I have any pieces leftover, I just fill in any gaps. It doesn’t have to look perfect. Part of the beauty of a crostata is its rustic imperfections.
4. Sprinkle the apples with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
5. Slice the butter into 1 tablespoon-sized tabs and add 4 tabs over the apples in the crostata. I try to space them evenly so that the butter melts throughout the whole pastry as it cooks.
6. Gently fold up the edges of the dough, slightly overlapping each piece as you make your way around the circle. Again, this doesn’t have to look perfect by any means. Repeat with the other crust and the remaining filling ingredients, to make a second crostata.
7. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes, until the crust is browned and the apples are cooked.
8. Note: Most refrigerated pie crusts call for a higher baking temperature, but I like to cook mine at 350 F and just bake it for a little longer than recommended to allow the apples to fully cook.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
10. Enjoy!