Zuccotto ricotta and pistachio, a truly creamy and enveloping delight, a dessert perfect to prepare even as a birthday cake, instead of the classic sponge cake with cream. Zuccotti are my favourite desserts: easy to make and theatrical, they always guarantee success at the table, like the pear, ricotta and chocolate zuccotto or the more classic and festive pandoro zuccotto filled with ice cream, not to mention the savoury versions, such as the festive savoury zuccotto.
Today I share with you the recipe for an easy and quick zuccotto, perfect even if you don’t have much time: a ricotta zuccotto, enriched by the scent of lemon and the flavour of Sicilian pistachio. I’m sure you’ll love the lightness of a delicious ricotta and pistachio cream, enhanced with crunchy dark chocolate flakes and a pleasant limoncello aroma.
Ready? Let’s run to the kitchen — but before discovering the recipe, if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the ricotta and pistachio zuccotto with Pavesini
- 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese (sheep or cow)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (for whipping)
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 oz dark chocolate
- 3 oz pistachio paste (pure)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup limoncello
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 6.3 oz Pavesini ladyfingers
- 3 oz unsalted shelled pistachios
- as needed sunflower seed oil
Tools
- 1 Bowl about 8 2/3 in or a zuccotto mold
- 1 Hand mixer or a stand mixer
- Plastic wrap
- Refrigerator
- 1 Blender / Mixer
Preparation of the Pavesini zuccotto with ricotta and pistachio
Pavesini ricotta and pistachio zuccotto: preparation…
Start by preparing the pistachio paste:
spread the pistachios on a baking tray and toast them a few minutes in a hot oven — 7–8 minutes at 338°F (watch carefully so they don’t burn).
Let them cool slightly and blend them with 2–3 tablespoons of oil until you obtain a cream.
Whip the cream in a bowl until it holds soft peaks; start from very cold cream.
Add the ricotta to the whipped cream (use a drained, fairly dry ricotta), mix with the beaters and add the sweetened condensed milk (you can replace it with about 90 g of granulated sugar, approximately 7 tablespoons) and the vanilla extract.
Once you have a homogeneous mixture, take about 100 g of it (no need to be precise), and add it to the pistachio paste. Mix very well to loosen the pistachio paste, then fold this blended portion back into the rest of the mousse.
Chop the chocolate with a knife to obtain flakes, add them to the mixture and combine.
Line a zuccotto mold or a simple bowl of about 7–8 in with plastic wrap.
Prepare a soak with limoncello and cold water.
Take the Pavesini one at a time, quickly dip each biscuit into the soak without lingering, lift it up, wait a few seconds for it to soften and place it vertically in the mold.
Do this for all the biscuits, covering the bowl harmoniously.
Pour part of the cream into the bowl, cover with a layer of dry Pavesini, pour more cream and make another layer of Pavesini. Repeat with the last layer of cream and the final layer of Pavesini.
Wrap very well with plastic wrap and place in the coldest part of the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or in the freezer for 2 hours.
Shortly before serving, invert the dessert onto a serving plate and garnish as you like.
I garnished mine with dollops of whipped cream, lemon slices and pistachio.
Storage notes and tips
This dessert should be served cold and eaten within 2 days of preparation. Any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, well covered in an airtight container.
Depending on the mold you use, the quantity of ingredients may vary slightly and you might have a little cream or a few Pavesini left over.
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