Nona Lombardi's Cassata

Ingredients: 

1 quart of milk 

1 pint heavy cream 

1 1/2 pounds of ricotta cheese 

15 eggs 

15-18 teaspoons of sugar 

Dash of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

1 teaspoon of grated lemon rinds 

Extra sugar to sprinkle over the top. 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well (you can use a hand mixer). When mixture is smooth and well blended, pour into ceramic or terra cotta pans. Do not use deep dishes and do not use metal pans. 

Bake until the tops are golden brown and  until a toothpick comes out clean and smooth. While baking do not keep opening the oven. When you take it out from the oven, it will fall a little. That is normal as it is like a soufflé. 

Behind the recipe: 

This is a very old world and traditional Italian recipe. It isn't sweet like modern custards, so if you are planning on making and having it come out as sweet as boxed custard be forewarned! But it is a glimpse into a life at the Lombardi table in Italy, over 70 years ago. 

My great grandmother, Maria Guiseppe Lombardi would make this for her kids and husband on Easter. My grandmother Antonia eventually learned to make it by watching her mother, and even made it her own by making it sweeter. In her letter to me she wrote 

"I have had this recipe for 55 years. Nona had no written recipes, they were all in her head. We had to watch and decipher the measurements as well as we could, and this is VERY close to her wonderful cassata."

I am told she used to make it every year for Easter, and make the sign of the cross over every pan of custard before placing it into the oven. She used to make it terra cotta pans from Italy just for her making cassata.

My father recently was craving this custard and hadn't had it since he was little. So my grandmother sent me the recipe, and after I made it he tasted it and said "that's nona's cassata".