Batali's Scrumptious Blackberry Pie

Dec. 9, 2008— -- Mario Batali divulges some of his favorite recipes for an Italian-inspired meal. From tasty tomato sauce to sweet and succulent blackberry pie, these recipes bring restaurant-quality cuisine right to your kitchen table.

For a Pasta with Spare Rib Sauce recipe click here.

Check out this recipe for Basic Tomato Sauce.

Click here for his homemade pasta recipe.

Looking for more meal ideas? Check out GMA's recipe archive by clicking here.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

About 5 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

4 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

For the crust, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.

With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to moisten it evenly, then add more water about 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half (keep the remaining dough chilled) to a 12 1/2-inch round, and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Put the blackberries in a bowl and toss gently with the sugar and flour. Drizzle with the lemon juice and toss gently again.

Transfer the berries to the pie shell and dot with the butter. Roll out the second piece of dough to an 11-inch round. Cover the filling with the dough, trim the excess dough, and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a few steam vents in the center of the crust. Bake in a 350°F oven for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Let cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes, and devour.

Courtesy of Mario Batali