Ricotta Pudding with Fresh Strawberry Coulis

La storia di questo piatto

Born from the pastoral heart of Italy, where shepherds have whispered secrets to sheep for centuries, this budino carries the ancient soul of a land where ricotta is not an ingredient but a birthright — white as monastery walls, honest as morning mist over Roman hills.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Fresh ricotta
• 80 g Caster sugar
• 400 g Fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Acacia honey
• 1 pod Vanilla pods
• 2 teaspoons Gelatin or agar-agar
• 100 ml Cold water
• 30 g Shelled pistachios, chopped

Preparazione

1. Rinse the strawberries thoroughly under cold water and pat them dry with care — they must not be wet when you cut them, or they'll lose their juice. Set aside 4 beautiful whole strawberries for garnish, then halve the rest and place them in a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and fresh lemon juice: lemon is your friend here, it brings out the strawberry's brightness and helps preserve the flavour.
2. Dissolve the gelatin in cold water following the packet instructions — be patient and let it soften completely. Turn the heat under the strawberry pan to very low and let them warm gently for 3-4 minutes: you'll see the juice begin to glisten and smell the sweetest perfume. Now pour the tepid gelatin into the pan and stir gently with a wooden spoon, as if caressing the strawberries — we don't want to break them. Let it cool slightly before moving forward.
3. Take the vanilla pod and split it lengthwise: inside you'll see those fragrant black seeds — scrape them out with the tip of a knife, they're the treasure. Place the ricotta in a large bowl, add 80 grams of sugar, the vanilla seeds, and a drizzle of honey. Using an electric whisk, beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and rises like a little cloud — this is the grandmother's secret, the air inside makes everything delicate.
4. Take your finest glasses or dessert bowls and spoon the ricotta pudding into them evenly. Now take the pistachios, chop them not too finely — we want to still see them — and scatter them generously over the pudding. That brilliant green against the white is stunning, and at the first spoonful it delivers fantastic flavour.
5. Pour the strawberry coulis — it should still be warm, creamy, and silky — over each pudding: watch it cascade down, creating a beautiful colour contrast that's a joy to behold. Top each with one of the whole strawberries you set aside, and now your dessert is almost ready. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, allowing the flavours to become acquainted and turn into friends.