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Italian

Zabaglione

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Egg yolks, sugar and Marsala whisked over simmering water into a warm, airy, golden custard foam, served straight away with berries or biscuits.

Zabaglione is an Italian dessert, ready in about 15 minutes and made with egg yolk, sugar and marsala wine. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
10 min
Total
15 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
145

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring a few centimetres of water to a bare simmer in a pan. In a heatproof bowl that sits above the water without touching it, whisk (opens in a new tab) the yolks and sugar (opens in a new tab) until pale.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the Marsala (opens in a new tab) and whisk (opens in a new tab) continuously over the simmering water for 8–10 minutes until the mixture triples in volume, becomes thick and foamy and holds a ribbon for a few seconds; it should reach about 75 °C.

    Lift the bowl off the heat for a moment if it starts to set at the edges.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon into glasses over berries and serve warm.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Piedmont, Italy · Origin disputedTurin and other cities have legends of its invention; the dish is old and widely made in Italy and, as sabayon, in France.Also popular in FranceMore food from Italy
    Dish
    Dessert · Desserts
    Cooking method
    Whipped
    Taste
    sweet, creamy, fruity
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium · DASH-style
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Cook more with
    Egg yolk · Sugar · Marsala wine
    Techniques
    Simmering · Emulsification

    Allergens

    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
    • Contains: Sulphitesfrom marsala wine

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    145 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 52 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 9%
    • Carbohydrate 59%
    • Fat 32%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy145 kcal278 kcal
    Protein2.7 g5.2 g
    Carbohydrate18.4 g35.1 g
    Net carbohydrate18.4 g35.1 g
    Sugars16.7 g31.8 g
    Added sugars15 g28.6 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat4.5 g8.6 g
    Saturated fat1.6 g3.1 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol184 mg352 mg
    Sodium10 mg19 mg
    Salt equivalent0 g0 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    38 mg
    Calcium
    24 mg
    Iron
    0.5 mg
    Magnesium
    3 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    65 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.9 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.3 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    25 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: strawberries.
    • Marsala wine: Sweet dessert wine (FDC 173176) used for Marsala, a fortified Sicilian wine.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Serve with

    • With cantucci or savoiardi for dipping.

    Food safety

    • Heating the yolks to about 75 °C while whisking makes them much safer than raw; pasteurised yolks are an option for vulnerable guests.
    • Contains alcohol.

    Storage

    • Serve immediately; it deflates as it cools.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 3

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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