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Pasta Frolla: Italian Shortcrust Pastry for Tarts and Cookies

  • 6 min read
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Pasta Frolla is a classic Italian sweet shortcrust pastry with a tender, buttery crumb. Made from simple pantry ingredients—butter, sugar, eggs and flour—it bakes into a soft but sturdy base that works beautifully for tarts, crostata, bars and cookies. Lightly sweet and delicately rich, it’s a cornerstone of Italian baking.

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Italian Pasta Frolla in a pan.

I turn to this Pasta Frolla whenever I want a reliable, easy-to-handle shortcrust that rolls smoothly and doesn’t shrink, stick or tear. It’s perfect for classic Italian tarts such as Torta Della Nonna or an apple crostata, and it also makes great bases for bars or a simple shortbread-style cookie. The dough is forgiving, easy to roll, and produces a finely textured, tender crust.

What sets this recipe apart is the use of ’00’ flour—also called pizza flour—instead of standard pastry flour. The ’00’ flour has a slightly higher gluten structure than pastry flour, which helps the dough hold together without becoming tough. If you can’t find ’00’ flour, bleached all-purpose flour is a suitable substitute.

Key Ingredients

See the full ingredient list in the recipe card below. Here are the most important components and why they matter:

  • ’00’ flour – Gives structure while still producing a tender crumb. Use all-purpose if ’00’ isn’t available.
  • Cold unsalted butter – Cold butter coats the flour and creates that flaky, tender texture. Avoid using room-temperature butter, which releases water and can make the dough tougher.
  • Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar is preferred here because the tiny particles and added starch help produce a crumbly, delicate texture. You can substitute granulated sugar for a slightly different crumb.
  • Cold eggs – Eggs provide the necessary liquid and bind the dough, helping it come together and hold its shape during baking.

Two Ways To Make This Dough

You can make Pasta Frolla in a food processor for speed and convenience, or by hand in a large bowl. Both methods produce the same result; choose the one you’re most comfortable with.

Using a Food Processor

This is the fastest method and requires minimal handling:

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Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered sugar and lemon zest.
A food processor bowl with flour and pieces of butter.
Cut the butter into small pieces and process until crumb-sized.
A bowl of a food processor with flour and beaten egg.
Add beaten eggs and vanilla, then process to form a smooth dough.
A food processor bowl with pasta frolla dough.
Form a disk, wrap and refrigerate.

Using a Large Bowl

This traditional method uses simple tools and works well if you don’t have a food processor:

A hand mixing flour in a large bowl.
Combine dry ingredients and lemon zest in a large bowl.
A hand grating butter into a large bowl with flour.
Grate or cut cold butter and work it into the flour with your fingers.
Hands rubbing butter into flour in a large bowl.
Rub until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Hands mixing eggs into a large bowl with flour.
Add beaten eggs and vanilla, then mix until the dough holds together.
Hand bringing dough together in a large bowl.
Bring the dough together by hand into a smooth mass.
A large bowl with a piece of dough.
Shape into a disk and chill at least 30 minutes.

Rolling and Transferring the Dough

There are many ways to roll and fit shortcrust into a pan; a reliable technique is to roll the disk into a circle, fold it in half and then in half again to form a triangle. Placing the triangle’s tip at the center of the tart pan ensures the dough sits evenly when you unfold and press it into the sides. If the dough softens while rolling, chill it briefly to firm up.

Rolled dough next to a rolling pin.
Roll the dough into a circle and fold to transfer.
Rolled dough folded over itself next to a rolling pin.
Fold the dough into a triangle and position it in the pan.
dough lines over a tart pan.
Unfold and press gently into the pan, trimming the excess with your rolling pin.

Blind Bake

This dough is ideal for fillings that don’t require baking or need a par-baked shell—creams, custards and fresh fruit all pair beautifully. For blind baking: prick the bottom with a fork, freeze the lined pan for 30 minutes if possible, line with parchment and pie weights, bake, and allow the shell to cool slightly before removing the weights so the shell sets and doesn’t shrink.

Un baked italian shortcrust.
Prick the dough and line with parchment before adding weights.
Un baked italian shortcrust topped with pie weights.
Use pie weights or dry beans for even baking.
Partly baked vs. fully baked italian shortcrust

Storing and Making Ahead

Pasta Frolla is easy to make ahead. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to six weeks when wrapped tightly. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. If the chilled dough is very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before rolling to make it pliable.

Baked tart shells and cookies keep at room temperature for up to five days in an airtight container. If your tart has a perishable filling, follow storage guidelines specific to that filling.

Italian shortcrust cookies
Pasta Frolla Recipe

Pasta Frolla | Foolproof Multipurpose Shortcrust

An Italian sweet shortcrust pastry with a tender, buttery texture and delicate crumb. Lightly sweet and subtly fragrant, it’s the traditional base for crostata, tarts and cookies.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Yield
1 9 or 10-inch double crust
Author
Dikla Levy Frances

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 Cups (450g) ’00’ flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 1 Cup (225g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 large whole eggs, cold
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

Instructions

Food Processor Method

  • Place flour (450g), baking powder (1/4 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), powdered sugar (120g) and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse 2–3 times.
  • Cut cold butter (225g) into 1/2-inch pieces, add to the flour mixture and process until the butter pieces are about the size of small peas.
  • Beat the eggs with the vanilla, add them to the bowl and process just until a smooth dough forms.
  • Turn the dough onto a work surface, press into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to three days.

Bowl Method

  • Mix flour (450g), baking powder (1/4 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), lemon zest and powdered sugar (120g) in a large bowl.
  • Grate or dice cold butter (225g), add to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Beat the eggs with the vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the eggs in, gradually mixing with a spatula until the dough begins to come together.
  • Use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, form a disk, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to three days.

Rolling and Handling

  • Remove chilled dough, unwrap and roll to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
  • Fold the circle in half, then in half again to form a triangle; place the point of the triangle in the center of a 9-inch tart pan and unfold.
  • Press the dough gently into the pan, trim excess with a rolling pin, and chill before blind baking if instructed.

Blind Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and place a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
  • Prick the tart bottom with a fork, line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool 10–15 minutes before removing weights.
  • Return the shell to the oven for 5 minutes for a par-baked crust, or 10–12 minutes for a fully baked shell. Cool completely before filling.

Notes

  • Unbaked dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • To freeze: wrap tightly in plastic and place in a freezer bag for up to six weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
  • Avoid overworking the dough—once it comes together, stop handling it and chill.
  • Blind bake when using unbaked fillings like custard or fresh fruit to maintain a crisp shell.