Strawberries are one of the summer’s fabulous jewels, beloved by cooks for their luscious sweetness and vibrant scarlet color. Italian marketplaces are flooded with ripe strawberries between May and September, with many a punnet finding its way into delectable summer recipes.
Strawberries, in particular, lend themselves wonderfully to desserts, and their adaptability offers lots of opportunities for innovation when it comes to food selection. With that, here are some of the best strawberry-infused Italian pastries.
Best Italian Strawberry Desserts
Strawberry Tiramisu
This is a quick and straightforward no-bake dessert. Fresh strawberries, mascarpone, and cream are used to make this dessert. Because there’s no coffee or alcohol in this dessert, it’s suitable for everyone. A true Italian classic!
Strawberry, Mascarpone, and Marsala Budini
These parfaits (or budini — Italian for “puddings”) of amazingly creamy mascarpone stacked with Marsala-soaked strawberries epitomize the Italian dessert style: effortless, not overly sweet, and exquisite.
Strawberry Zabaglione
This Strawberry Zabaglione (zah-habl-YOH-nay) has everything you could want for a luscious dessert, whether it’s for your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or a romantic supper at home for two: silky custard, red, luscious strawberries, and sweet Italian wine. If you think champagne is more romantic, substitute it for the Marsala wine, but the Marsala’s flavor is fuller.
Strawberry Panna Cotta
The panna cotta is an Italian dessert that’s ideal for entertaining. It’s both elegant and delicious, and you may make it ahead of time. The best part? This dessert is pretty simple to prepare. This treat takes only ten minutes to prepare and only five ingredients. You probably already have all of these in your kitchen.
This dish has two components: the cream mixture (milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin) and the fruit variation (strawberry puree to produce the strawberry flavor).
Strawberry Cannoli
Many Italians, for sure, would say Cannoli as their favorite dessert! Cannoli are always the first treats to be eaten, whether filled with Italian Pastry Cream, the typical Ricotta filling, or even a basic Mascarpone Cream.
Cannoli originated in Sicily and were once produced for carnivals. Now, they’re created and marketed all across Italy and the world.
Strawberry Affogato
This strawberry affogato is a more sophisticated take on the typical Italian espresso and ice cream pour-over dish. Affogato means “drowning,” and while you may enjoy your gelato drowned in hot coffee, you’ll enjoy this adult version much more.
Mix more sparkling wine to make a delectable drink. You’ll enjoy the large bubbles formed by the fizz over ice cream, and you’re even free to experiment. For a romantic Valentine’s Day date, a strawberry affogato goes well with the fillo cherry blossoms.
White Chocolate Strawberry Biscotti
These strawberry and white chocolate biscotti are ideal for sharing (or making for yourself) on Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion. These biscotti are deliciously crispy! They pair excellently with a cup of coffee or as a post-dinner treat.
Strawberry Gelato
Traditional gelato, which originated in Italy, utilizes more milk and less cream than ice cream (and sometimes no eggs whatsoever) and is churned more slowly, leaving the resulting gelato less frothy and light (and less fatty) than ice cream. Strawberry gelato is a dish worth tasting since it is thick, creamy, gently sweet, and incredibly indulgent.
Classic Strawberry-Marzipan Cake
This cake is eye-catching and vibrant, with white cake, red strawberries, and a green marzipan topping. There are several processes, and while the marzipan coating is simple to roll out and apply, you can omit it if you like.
This cake’s top is topped with a sheet of marzipan, which is an easy way to construct attractive, highly uniform, and professional-looking cakes. The standard color for marzipan is green; however, any color will suffice.
Strawberry Semifreddo
Who can say no to strawberry season? Strawberry desserts are exceptionally light and delicious. In Italian, semifreddo, which means “half-cold,” is a half-frozen or chilled dessert with meringue or whipped cream. The strawberry semifreddo, made with cream, Greek yogurt, and fresh strawberries, is a beautiful no-bake summer dessert.
Strawberry Cheesecake Pie
Do strawberries go well with cheese? Yes, especially if you count cream cheese. The Strawberry Cheesecake Pie is prepared with Italian crostata dough and a fluffy, almost mousse-like strawberry cheesecake filling. To make it even more perfect, top with fresh strawberries and a spoonful of whipped cream.
Neapolitan Ice Cream
Also known as Harlequin ice cream, Neapolitan ice cream is a dessert made of three distinct flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) placed side by side in the same container, usually with no packaging in between. Ice cream lovers will surely love this Italian treat.
Strawberry Crostata
This dish is a traditional Italian breakfast treat. It’s nothing short of magical when flaky pie crust rolled out and loaded with fresh strawberries meets an oven. The crisp and soft pastry is stuffed with luscious jam and served with a milky coffee for a delicious way to start the day.
This wonderfully sweet delicacy, served just pretty warm with globs of whipped cream swirls, elegantly exhibits strawberries. All that’s required is a panoramic view of the Italian countryside!
Fragola Pazzo
Fragola pazzo, an Italian dessert goes great with pasta. As it gets from its name, it is a crazy combination of ingredients but surprisingly excellent. For the best results of this recipe, you need good quality balsamic vinegar.
Strawberry and Hibiscus Sorbet
This fragrant strawberry hibiscus sorbet is an incredibly refreshing and perfect dessert for sweltering summers. One of the ingredients in this recipe is dextrose. It is a form of sugar that slows the freezing time of ice cream and gelato.
Strawberries and Violets
This superb strawberry dessert is served with a delicate recipe of violet ice cream for a fragrant and floral finish. Several unusual elements in the recipe create this surprising Italian strawberry dessert. It includes watercress granita, balsamic meringue, strawberry tapioca pearls.
Strawberry Salad with Pea Ice Cream
Luigi Sartini’s refreshing summer dessert exudes the sweet flavors of the season. It includes an unusual addition of vibrant pea ice cream. This gelato needs to be made in a Pacojet and left to sit in the freezer overnight. Make sure that you make it before hosting an event.
Strawberry Granita with Lemon Cream and Cardamom Meringues
This delicious strawberry dessert by Mauro Uliassi combines a sweet strawberry granita with a warmth of cardamom and a touch of lemon. For this recipe, you will need a dehydrator to bake the meringues, otherwise, a low oven can be used as a substitute.
Italian Strawberry Desserts – For Strawberry Lovers
People love strawberry shakes and ice creams but Italian desserts made from strawberries are worth trying. Strawberries are one of the summer’s fabulous jewels that cook love to make delicious strawberry desserts. If you want to try a true classic Italian dessert, then Strawberry Tiramisu is one of the best Italian desserts. Also, if you want to serve a strawberry cheesecake pie at dinner, then you are going to love a combination of cheese and strawberries.
Apart from classic Italian desserts that include strawberries, there are some modern classic Italian desserts such as fragola pazzo. If you want to try something sweet, then strawberry granita can be the best option. The strawberry desserts you have tried at fancy restaurants can be made at homes such as strawberry and hibiscus sorbet or strawberry salad with pea ice cream. These strawberry desserts will attract your guests to the dessert table at a family gathering.