Lidia Bastianich Recipes Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake May 2026

When it finally emerged, cooled, and was sliced, the texture was extraordinary: dense yet airy, creamy yet firm. The chocolate had formed a marbled, almost brownie-like swirl near the bottom, while the ricotta kept everything light. A dusting of powdered sugar, a few fresh berries, and that was it.

The batter went into the springform pan. She smoothed the top, gave it a gentle tap on the counter to release air bubbles, and placed it in a preheated 350°F oven. After 20 minutes, she lowered the heat to 300°F without opening the door. Total baking time: about 70–80 minutes, until the center was just barely set—still a little wobbly, like a quiet laugh.

Buon appetito.

Lidia buttered a 9-inch springform pan, then dusted it with fine breadcrumbs, not flour. “Breadcrumbs,” she told Julia, “give a toasty, Italian crunch. Flour is for cakes that are afraid of texture.”

“Good?” Lidia asked.

Lidia smiled. “Exactly. That’s the most important ingredient.”

She showed Julia how to press the ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve with a wooden spoon. “This is the secret,” she said. “If your ricotta is wet, your cheesecake will be sad. We want creamy, not weepy.” lidia bastianich recipes chocolate ricotta cheesecake

“It tastes like Sunday,” Julia replied.