Cassola (Ricotta Souffle – Pudding from Rome)

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

With an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the eggs with the sugar until creamy. Add the ricotta, salt, and lemon zest or cinnamon.

There are a few ways to cook this: For the original, older version, grease an ovenproof pan or skillet (it should be 9’ to 9 ½ “ in diameter) with a little olive oil, and heat it on the stovetop. When the olive oil is warm, pour the mixture in and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Then move it into the 350F oven for 15 minutes, or under the broiler for 5 (it’s like cooking a frittata).

You can also bake it like a cake: in this case, grease a baking pan with little olive oil, dust with flour, matzah meal or breadcrumbs, pour the mixture in, and bake for 40 minutes at 350-375 F. It should be soft and moist inside. Cassola can be eaten warm and I like to serve it with an orange sauce made by diluting some warm orange marmalade.

It can also be made as a souffle in individual ramekins by separating the eggs and folding the whites in at the end after beating them till they are stiff.