Quick ricotta and lemon zeppole, perfect for a quick snack made in minutes without rising time, ideal to eat right away to satisfy that sudden craving for something sweet. Light, with little sugar and ricotta. Very easy to make at home — you only need a bowl and a pan. You quickly mix a simple dough of flour and ricotta with a single egg, a bit of sugar and one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. We use instant baking powder, so you can shape the zeppole immediately and fry them quickly in plenty of hot oil. I flavored mine with the organic zest of my lemons, but you can also use orange zest or vanilla extract.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for ricotta zeppole flavored with lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 250 g)
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar (about 40 g)
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (about 10 g)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (about 10 g)
- 1 zest of 1 lemon
- 2/3 cup ricotta (about 150 g), well drained
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Tools to prepare ricotta zeppole
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 1 Pan
- 1 Turner
- 1 Grater
Steps to prepare quick ricotta and lemon zeppole
In a bowl put the egg, the sugar and the ricotta and work them together. Add the oil, the flour and the baking powder along with the grated zest of one lemon. Knead until you get a homogeneous dough. My ricotta was well drained; depending on how soft yours is you may need a bit more flour.
Divide the dough into about 12 pieces of roughly 1.4 oz each (about 40 g). Roll each piece into a thin rope about 3/8 in thick and shape it into a ring, forming a small knot.
Fry in plenty of hot oil at around 338°F. Let the zeppole turn golden on both sides, turning them immediately in the hot oil.
Be careful not to leave them too long in the oil — just enough time to brown them — and if you notice they brown too quickly, lower the heat.
Drain them on paper towels as you go, and while still warm roll them in granulated sugar to coat.
At this point the quick ricotta and lemon zeppole are ready to enjoy. If any are left over, store them well covered and they can be eaten the next day — they’re also great briefly reheated.
