panna cotta

noun

pan·​na cot·​ta ˌpa-nə-ˈkä-tə 

plural panna cotta or panna cottas

: a dessert made of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin

For a more summery treat, try the vanilla bean panna cotta. The creamy gelatin is served with a berry coulis, perfect for a hot day.

—Lindsey Styrwoll

Panna cotta, which is lightly thickened with gelatin and often topped with caramel or fruit or both, piques the curiosity of diners …

—Pamela Parseghian

Serve your panna cotta either in the ramekins with the strawberries on top or you can unmold and serve on a plate.

—Theresa Greco

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, literally, "cooked cream"; panna "cream," feminine derivative of panno "piece of cloth, layer formed on the surface of a liquid," going back to Latin pannus "piece of cloth, rag"; cotta, feminine of cotto "cooked," past participle of cuocere "to cook," going back to Latin coquere — more at pane, cook entry 1

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above