Ricotta and Chocolate Chip Gelato

Roughly chop the dark chocolate into irregular shards, 5-8mm in size. Set aside on a plate at room temperature.

In a medium copper pot, whisk together the eggs and white sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes by hand.

Pour in the heavy cream and add the vanilla extract. Whisk gently to combine without incorporating too much air.

Place the pot over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula in wide, sweeping motions, watching for the first wisps of steam. The mixture should reach 82-84C — just shy of a simmer — after 6-8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Remove from heat immediately. Pour the warm custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any cooked egg threads.

Add the ricotta to the strained custard. Use a immersion blender or whisk to blend until completely smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute.

Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate the mixture until fully chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn the chilled base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, approximately 25-30 minutes, until it reaches a thick, ribbon-like consistency.

When the gelato is just shy of fully churned, scatter the chopped chocolate shards over the surface. Allow the machine to fold them in for the final 30 seconds of churning.

Transfer to a lidded container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Freeze until firm, at least 2-3 hours, before scooping.