Zuppa Inglese, a Lighter Version of an Italian Classic for Feast of the Seven Fishes

Zuppa inglese, which literally translates to “English soup”, is essentially a type of Italian trifle.

Zuppa inglese a great choice for dessert when preparing a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes (or nine or thirteen, whichever you celebrate).

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Brought to America from Southern Italy where it is all but forgotten, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a meal eaten by Italian ­Americans that features (at least) seven fish/seafood dishes.

Along with our hosts, Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen and Lora from Savoring Italy, a dozen food bloggers have come together to share menu ideas for your Seven Fishes feast. Along with the traditional seven fish and seafood dishes, we’ve included a few side dishes, a palate cleanser, a dessert, and a cocktail.

Salmon Rillettes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Marinated Shrimp Salad from A Healthy Life For Me

Pistachio Crusted Baked Cod from Cravings of a Lunatic

Pasta con le Sarde from Savoring Italy

Tuscan Seafood Stew from Food Done Light

Mixed Seafood Risotto from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Linguine with Scallops and Broccoli from Kudos Kitchen By Renee

Brussels Sprouts Risotto from Eats Well With Others

Marinated Roasted Vegetables from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Limoncello Sorbet from Creative Culinary

Cranberry Limoncello Spritzer from Snappy Gourmet

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As many Italians know, what is known by one name in one region of Italy, may be known as many other names in other regions, which I discussed in my post on frappe (or chiacchiere, or cioffe, etc.) My family’s version of Zuppa Inglese is made more like a stand-up tiramisu, than a trifle as it’s not made in a bowl, but on a plate. It’s also not the prettiest dessert, but I can assure you that what it lacks in beauty, it makes up in flavor.

What is Zuppa Inglese?

Translated in English, it means English soup. Don’t get put off, though, it’s a lovely trifle-like, Italian dessert. 

Zuppa Inglese is made with marsala (or other liqueur) soaked biscuits/cookies which are layered with plain and chocolate custard fillings. When left in the fridge overnight, the biscuits become a soft, almost cake-like layer, and the combination is truly top-notch for such a simple dessert!

My family’s version of this dessert is made with crema pasticciera, which is a custard-like pudding (made with flour) used for filling many Italian desserts. Half of the crema is plain, and the other half is flavored with chocolate. However, I am not a fan of crema pasticciera (most likely because I grew up eating Bird’s custard), as the Italian version of custard is much too thick and heavy for my taste.

This is why I’ve made this dessert with a lighter filling. My mother used Nutella, instead of chocolate, the last time she made Zuppa Inglese and raved about it, so I added Nutella into the whipped cream).

Can you make Zuppa Inglese in Advance?

Not only CAN you make it in advance, you NEED to make it in advance! The biscuits need time to soak up the marsala, so a few hours in the fridge is the minimum time it needs before it’s served.

Can you Freeze Zuppa Inglese?

Although I haven’t frozen zuppa inglese, I would assume that it would freeze well for a short time since it’s similar to tiramisu (which freezes well.) Let us know in the comments below if you’ve frozen this dessert.

Christina’s Zuppa Inglese Recipe

this is how my family makes this dessert.          serves 4 to 6

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

• one package of tea biscuits/cookies similar to these

• sweet marsala (I love Marsala all’Uovo, but unless you’re in Canada or Europe it will be almost impossible to find)

• one recipe of homemade custard, made with the same ingredients, but using only 3/4 cup milk (6 oz)
• 3 heaping tablespoons of Nutella or Nocciolata
• 1 cup (8 oz) whipping cream
• chocolate sprinkles, or chocolate curls

Directions

Whip the cream until stiff and fold half into the cooled custard. Put the Nutella/Nocciolata into the other half and fold until evenly blended.

Pour some marsala into a shallow bowl and begin dipping the biscuits/cookies into the liqueur. Place three in a row on a serving plate, then spread some of the custard over the top.

Continue dipping biscuits in the marsala (adding more marsala to the dish as needed), but place the biscuits in the opposite direction (cutting the biscuits to fill out the layer, after they’ve been dipped). As I said in the photo above, the dessert never looks perfect, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look precise.

Next, spread a layer of the Nutella whipped cream, and repeat the process two more times, so you end up with this.

To finish the top, spread a thin layer of the custard and dust with chocolate sprinkles, or curls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Buon Natale!

Zuppa Inglese Recipe

Yield:
6

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Total Time:
20 minutes

A lighter version of a traditional Italian Christmas dessert.

Print

Ingredients

• -one package of tea biscuits/cookies
• -sweet Marsala (I love Marsala all’Uovo, but unless you’re in Canada or Europe it will be almost impossible to find)
• -one recipe of homemade custard, made with the same ingredients, but using only 3/4 cup milk (6 oz) (search REAL HOMEMADE CUSTARD on my site, for recipe)
• -3 heaping tablespoons of Nutella or Nocciolata
• -1 cup (8 oz) whipping cream
• -chocolate sprinkles, or chocolate curls

Instructions

1. Whip the cream until stiff and fold half into the cooled custard. Put the Nutella/Nocciolata into the other half and fold until evenly blended.
2. Pour some marsala into a shallow bowl and begin dipping the biscuits/cookies into the liqueur. Place three in a row on a serving plate, then spread some of the custard over the top.
3. Continue dipping biscuits in the marsala (adding more marsala to the dish as needed), but place the biscuits in the opposite direction (cutting the biscuits to fill out the layer, after they’ve been dipped). As I said in the photo above, the dessert never looks perfect, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look precise.
4. Next, spread a layer of the Nutella whipped cream, and repeat the process two more times.
5. To finish the top, spread a thin layer of the custard and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles, or curls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Notes

Use another liqueur if you can't find sweet Marsala

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 142Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 92mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

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