Budino di Ricotta (Ricotta Pudding)

In medieval times, the word ‘pudding’ was used to refer to mostly savoury preparations cooked in an animal casing. Deriving from the Latin botellus (‘small sausage’) and, later on, the French boudin, it is only recently that the term has come to describe mostly sweet dishes. The Italian equivalent, budino, is no exception. Today, the country boasts a variety of encased baked desserts, custards and other dolci al cucchiaio or ‘spoon desserts’ which fall under the category of ‘pudding’.

Pellegrino Artusi, often considered to be the nonno or ‘grandfather’ of modern Italian cuisine, devoted one section of his seminal cookbook, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, to this category of dessert. One of his pudding recipes, an oven-baked budino, includes three ingredients – fresh ricotta cheese, ground almonds and lemon zest - which often feature in Italian desserts to great effect. The almonds and lemon zest lend a mild yet distinctly sweet aroma to the ricotta’s sour yet creamy notes. When eaten cold, this pudding has a silken texture not dissimilar to a baked cheesecake. For maximum flavor, blanching and grounding your own almonds  (as opposed to buying ready-made almond meal) is recommended. Also, do use the best quality ricotta you can find. Artusi’s elegant and aromatic dessert is the perfect way to conclude a meal for a special occasion!