Ricotta ice cream

To prepare the ricotta ice cream, start with the ricotta itself. Place the ricotta in the refrigerator to drain in a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can do this the night before or a few hours before preparation to let the ricotta lose excess whey. Then, sift the ricotta using a strainer and a spatula 1 or the back of a spoon, and gather it in a small bowl 2. Repeat the process at least 3 times, sifting the ricotta with the spatula and strainer to make it creamier 3. Once sifted, set it aside.

Then proceed with the preparation. For the ricotta ice cream, raw eggs are used. If desired, you can pasteurize them by following the procedure in the Cooking School, clicking here: How to pasteurize eggs. Start whipping the yolks with the powdered sugar: place the yolks in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using an electric mixer or a hand whisk) and add the sifted powdered sugar 4. Then whip the ingredients until you obtain a light and fluffy cream 5. Next, add the rum (or Marsala), continuing to whip the mixture very gently 6.

Now take the sifted ricotta and add it to the cream 7; whip for a few more minutes to achieve a creamy result 8. Now that the mixture is ready, transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap 9. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that the ice cream firms up. For a more grainy and dense texture, you can whip the yolks and sugar with the beaters and add the ricotta and chosen aroma by hand, mixing with a spatula.

After the necessary time, remove the bowl from the fridge and serve the ice cream in cups 10 with a teaspoon or a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. You can garnish your ricotta ice cream with chocolate chips or shavings (11-12), or you can garnish it according to your guests' preferences: with chopped hazelnuts, whole or crumbled cookies, mint leaves, or accompany it with fresh fruit! Alternatively, for a "semifreddo" texture, you can create a more grainy and creamy mixture as indicated in the second sequence: line molds with dampened parchment paper, fill them with the obtained cream, and place them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap to firm up. Once the necessary time has passed, unmold them by inverting them onto dessert plates!