Rice pudding gelato

Name: Rice pudding gelato
Yield: 1000 g
Cuisine: Italian

Gabriele Manzi's starting point for this gelato is the traditional Tuscan rice pudding tart, but the idea goes beyond simply flavouring a custard base with rice. The recipe aims to reproduce several sensations of the original dessert: a soft dairy base, the pastry-like richness of egg yolk, a delicate hint of lemon and, above all, the noticeable texture of the rice itself.

The rice is therefore prepared separately until it becomes a thick, aromatic mixture, then incorporated into the gelato during churning. This keeps a tangible rice component instead of turning the flavour into a completely smooth rice cream.

Its intensity can also be adjusted through this separate rice mixture. Increasing it makes the rice more prominent, although the overall balance of the gelato still needs to remain within the correct parameters. It is a good example of how a traditional dessert can be translated into gelato while preserving not only its flavour, but part of its original texture as well.

A recipe by Gabriele Manzi

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Photo by Gabriele Manzi

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Behind the recipe

Gabriele Manzi

Gelateria Manzi

Gabriele Manzi is the owner of Gelateria Manzi, a historic artisan business in Pisa and Marina di Pisa since 1985. Raised within the family business, he upholds a philosophy built on continuity, quality raw materials and respect for the recipes that made the gelateria a local landmark.

His approach to gelato is direct and uncompromising: selected ingredients, attention to the balance between sweetness and structure, and a constant pursuit of clean taste. While strongly tied to Italian tradition, in recent years he has paired the classic range with ongoing experimentation, often inspired by travel, encounters and new ingredients, always aiming to keep gelato readable and recognisable.

The quality of his work has been recognised by the sector's leading guides: Gelateria Manzi has earned two Gambero Rosso cones and been selected among the protagonists of Sherbeth Festival, the most important international festival dedicated to artisan gelato.

Gabriele's gelato seeks balance before surprise: an artisan vision that puts taste, technique and the pleasure of sharing a good idea through a cone or cup at the centre.

Meet Gabriele