Lemon budino shows how a few familiar ingredients can become refined through control of aroma, acidity, and texture. Citrus is deeply connected with Southern Italian pastry, where lemons appear in creams, cakes, preserves, granita, liqueurs, and countless regional sweets.

Crema Catalana, the Catalan stovetop cream under a sugar crust burnt with a hot iron Crema catalana is Catalan, not Italian, and it appears in writing long before crème brûlée. It is milk scented with lemon peel and cinnamon, thickened on the stove with yolks and cornstarch, chilled in shallow clay dishes and finished with a crackling crust of burnt sugar. Yield: 6 servings in 4 1/2 inch (11 cm) cassoles. Prep: 20 minutes. Infusion: 30 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes. Chill: 4 hour

A professional Pastiera Napoletana with cooked wheat, ricotta, orange blossom, candied citrus, and a delicate shortcrust shell, balanced for a creamy but sliceable filling.