Panna Cotta, a classic Italian dessert

Panna Cotta… literally cooked cream, a classic Italian dessert and a perennial favorite here at Ciao Bello.

But Panna Cotta is so much more than just one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the great dessert menus of the world.

Panna Cotta is a litmus test, a benchmark, a true test of any great chef. In Italy, if you can’t make a great Panna Cotta, you have no business working in a restaurant’s kitchen.

A Panna Cotta must wiggle but it must not ever lose its shape (that is, until you dig in with your spoon!).

It must be sweet but not cloyingly so: the dish’s sweetness should rest in balance with the delicious creme.

And Panna Cotta must be beautiful…