Name: Pistachio Cannoli
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 ounces (340 grams/1½ cups) ricotta cheese; 12 ounces (340 grams/1½ cups) mascarpone cheese; ¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar; ½ cup shelled pistachios , chopped; 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract; Pinch table salt; 10 cannoli shells; ¼ cup shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate

Why This Recipe Works

Cannoli might just be the most well-known sweet sold in bakeries in Italian neighborhoods across the United States. The name translates as “little tubes,” a reference to the fried pastry tubes that are filled with creamy, sweetened ricotta. Too bad that most versions sold in Italian bakeries are terrible. That's because this sweet is best filled to order. If filled in advance, the shells gets soggy and you lose the contrast between the lush filling and crisp pastry. For this recipe, we filled store-bought cannoli shells with a traditional filling of ricotta cheese enriched with creamy, rich mascarpone, sugar, and chopped pistachios—a nod to the Sicilian origins of the treat. Instead of draining the ricotta overnight, we placed the ricotta in cheesecloth and then weighted it with heavy cans to remove maximum moisture in minimal time, resulting in a desirably dense filling in only an hour. To pipe the filling into the shells, a zipper-lock bag makes a convenient stand-in for a pastry bag. We garnished one end of each cannoli with shaved chocolate as a flavorful and elegant alternative to mini chocolate chips.

Before You Begin

You can find cannoli shells at most markets in either the international foods aisle, the gourmet cheese section, or the bakery. Make sure to use a high-quality whole-milk ricotta. Use a vegetable peeler or the large holes of a box grater to shave or grate chocolate for a garnish.

Instructions

Line colander with triple layer of cheesecloth and place in sink. Place ricotta in prepared colander, pull edges of cheesecloth together to form pouch, and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place taut, twisted cheese pouch in pie plate and set heavy plate on top. Weight plate with 2 large heavy cans and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Discard drained ricotta liquid and transfer dry ricotta to medium bowl. Stir in mascarpone, sugar, pistachios, vanilla, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed, or up to 1 day.

Transfer chilled cheese mixture into pastry bag or large zipper-lock bag. (If using zipper-lock bag, cut ¾ inch off one bottom corner.) Pipe filling evenly into cannoli shells from both ends, working outward from center. Sprinkle 1 end of each cannoli with grated chocolate and serve.