Italians take their cheesecake seriously. Recipes vary from region to region but whichever variation you taste, you’ll notice a difference in taste from the American version. American cheesecake contains cream cheese whereas the traditional Italian versions contain ricotta. Some versions, like Savillum from ancient Rome, are even crustless.
Savillum Cheesecake
Savillum is an ancient Roman recipe that doesn’t look –or taste – like the cheesecake that is common today. Made with very few ingredients, savillum doesn’t have a crust and is very soft, so serve it with a spoon.
It’s simple to make with just a few ingredients, including honey in place of refined sugar. Romans used honey as a sweetener, as sugar wasn’t available until a few centuries later. So while Savillum doesn’t have the added sugar that cheesecake today is known for, the honey still lends a sweetness to this delicious ancient cheesecake recipe.
Ingredients
15 bay leaves
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 tsp grated orange zest
½ cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line the bottom of a spring-form pan with the bay leaves until it is covered completely.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and then mix in ricotta, honey, orange zest and lemon juice. Slowly stir in the flour until it’s well-incorporated. Gently pour the batter over the bay leaves in the spring-form pan.
Place the spring-form pan inside a large roasting pan and fill with water until it’s about halfway up the spring-form pan.
Bake until browned, about 35-40 minutes. Release the spring-form pan by running a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a serving plate.
Poke some holes in the top, drizzle additional honey on top. Serve warm or chilled.
An easy and delicious desert, this authentic version of Roman cheesecake is perfect to enjoy anytime.
