Ricotta, orange, chocolate and pastis tart (tarte ricotta orange au chocolat et au pastis)

This combination of ricotta, orange and chocolate is a classically Mediterranean one — you might have tried this filling in cannoli, a Sicilian dessert made of a fine, crunchy tube of pastry, filled with ricotta and various flavour combinations. In Provence, we typically add either orange blossom water or rosewater, anise or fennel flowers to the ricotta. This particular recipe uses pastis, an anise-based liqueur originating from Marseille, consumed profusely by the locals as a late-afternoon refreshment.