Budino di ricotta
Roman baked ricotta pudding with lemon zest, cinnamon, candied peel and a splash of rum, risen with whisked egg whites.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Budino di ricotta is the Roman home cousin of cheesecake, without a crust. Fresh ricotta, ideally sheep's milk, is pushed through a sieve so it is smooth, then beaten with sugar, egg yolks, a little flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, candied peel and a splash of rum. Whisked egg whites are folded in last, and the pudding bakes in a buttered, crumbed tin until it puffs and sets with a light wobble in the middle. It sinks a little as it cools; that is normal. Sieve the ricotta: lumps stay lumps. Do not overbake, or it turns grainy and dry. It is eaten warm or at room temperature, never fridge-cold if you can help it.
What you'll need
11 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Ricotta, sheep's milk if you can, drained and sieved500 g
- Sugar120 g
- Egg, separated4 large
- Wheat flour30 g
- Lemon, zest only1
- Cinnamon, ground2½ ml
- Candied peel, citron or orange, finely diced50 g
- Dark rum30 ml
- Butter, for the tin10 g
- Breadcrumbs, fine, for the tin30 ml
- Icing sugar, to dust (optional)15 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 22 cm tin and coat it with breadcrumbs.
5 min180°C
Step 2
Beat the sieved ricotta with sugar and yolks until smooth. Stir in flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, candied peel and rum.
8 min
Step 3
Whisk the whites to soft peaks and fold them in gently in two batches.
5 min
Step 4
Pour into the tin and bake until puffed, golden and just set with a slight wobble in the centre, 40–45 minutes. Cool in the tin, then turn out and dust with icing sugar.
45 min180°C
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 252 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 37.3 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.7 g
- Fibre
- 1.8 g
- Sugar
- 23.7 g
- Sodium
- 81 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Sheep's-milk ricotta → Cow's-milk ricotta
Milder. Drain it well, it is usually wetter.
Tips
- Drain the ricotta in a sieve for an hour if it looks wet.
- Swap the rum for Strega or Marsala if that is what the house drinks.
History & culture
Rome's sheep's-milk ricotta, fresh from the Lazio countryside, is the reason the city has so many ricotta sweets: the crostata di ricotta, ricotta fritters, and this simple baked budino. It is a family dessert for Sundays and Easter, not a pastry-shop showpiece.
Baked sweet cheese puddings go back to Roman antiquity, and ricotta puddings sweetened with sugar and scented with cinnamon appear in Renaissance cookbooks. The home version, with rum and candied peel, is the one Roman family cookbooks of the twentieth century kept.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Budino di ricotta take?
1 hr 20 min all in — 20 min prep, 45 min cook, 15 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 slices. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Eggs, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Baking tray.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
120 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Sheep's-milk ricotta → Cow's-milk ricotta. Milder. Drain it well, it is usually wetter.
Any tips from this recipe?
Drain the ricotta in a sieve for an hour if it looks wet. Swap the rum for Strega or Marsala if that is what the house drinks.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
