I only recently learned that the most famous lines in The Godfather (“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”) were not in the script. Actor Richard Castellano ad-libbed them. Movie critics have debated the meaning, but to me it’s obvious. What kind of Italian-American would leave cannoli behind, even fleeing a crime scene?
Fresh ricotta at a Calabrian creamery
Homemade cannoli ice cream incorporates everything I love most about cannoli (the creamy ricotta filling) and nothing I don’t (the soggy fried shell). The ricotta ice cream is super easy. As soon as it has finished churning, you fold in candied orange, chopped pistachios and chopped chocolate—as much as you like. A crisp cookie is nice with it, or accompany with raspberries. The recipe is adapted from Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino with Jennie Schacht.
I usually use Bellwether Farms basket ricotta or homemade ricotta. Calabro is another brand I admire, especially the hand-dipped ricotta packaged in a perforated tin. I would steer clear of supermarket brands like Polly-O for this recipe.
Cannoli Ice Cream
I like Strega (Italian herb liqueur) in this ice cream, but it’s costly. Substitute anise-flavored Sambuca, cherry-flavored Maraschino or dark rum. You can omit the alcohol but it helps keep the ice cream from freezing too hard.
3 tablespoons shelled raw pistachios
2-1/2 cups top-quality whole-milk ricotta
1 cup less 2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 tablespooons Strega, Sambuca, Maraschino or dark rum
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 cup heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
2 to 3 tablespoons diced candied orange peel
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped bittersweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Toast the pistachios for 5 minutes, cool completely, then chop coarsely. Put the ricotta, sugar, Strega, lemon zest, vanilla and salt in a food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cream and puree again until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a storage container and fold in the pistachios, candied orange and chopped chocolate. Freeze until firm.
Makes about 1-1/2 quarts