Italian Phrase
Cuoci la base della crostata in bianco.
Meaning
The sentence is a cooking instruction meaning ‘Bake the tart crust blind.’ It tells you to pre‑bake the pastry base without any filling, usually with weights, so it stays crisp when the wet filling is added later.
When to use
You’ll hear or use this phrase in Italian recipes, cooking classes, or when a chef is guiding an assistant through the steps of making a crostata, especially those with custard or jam fillings that need a firm crust.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cuocilabasedellacrostatainbianco
Imperative Mood
‘Cuoci’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘cuocere’ (to cook/bake).
Definite Article + Preposition
‘della’ = ‘di’ + ‘la’, meaning ‘of the’; it links ‘base’ with ‘crostata’.
Expression ‘in bianco’
Literally ‘in white’, it refers to blind‑baking a pastry crust before adding the filling.
🗨In Conversation
Cuoci la base della crostata in bianco per 12 minuti.
Bake the tart crust blind for 12 minutes.
Va bene, la metto in forno subito.
Alright, I’ll put it in the oven right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Cucisci la base della crostata in bianco.
‘Cucire’ means ‘to sew’; the correct verb for cooking is ‘cuocere’ → ‘cuoci’.
Cuoci la base della crostata in bianco come se fosse una torta bianca.
Learners sometimes think it means ‘in white’; in culinary Italian it means ‘blind bake’.
Cuoci base della crostata in bianco.
Dropping the article ‘la’ makes the phrase sound incomplete.
↔Alternatives
Fai la cottura in bianco della base della crostata.
Do a blind bake of the tart base.
Cuoci la crosta a vuoto.
Bake the crust empty.
Prepara la base della crostata senza ripieno.
Prepare the tart base without filling.
Cultural Tip
Blind‑baking (cottura in bianco) is a staple in Italian pastry making. It prevents the crust from becoming soggy when you add moist fillings like ricotta, custard, or fruit jam. Traditional Italian crostate often use a short‑crust dough (pasta frolla) and are served during holidays and family gatherings.