Migliaccio, often served at Carnival, is a lemon-ricotta cheesecake with a difference: a base of semolina flour, which makes it lighter than your typical cheesecake. Preheat the oven to 325. Butter an 11-inch round cake pan. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, then whisk in the semolina and salt.
With the Italian Semolina Cake Migliaccio we make a jump in the Italian region of Campania. Today this dessert is typical of the carnival period, but its roots are very ancient. Migliaccio’s ancestor made his appearance in the eighteenth century, in rural Campania and Tuscany.
A staple during Naples' Carnival festivities, migliaccio is the region's rustic semolina and lemon cake which is made rich and moist with the ricotta.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, water, butter, and large strips of lemon zest just to a simmer. As soon as the milk starts to bubble, remove the strips of zest with a slotted spoon or fine-mesh strainer and discard. Sprinkle the semolina flour into the pot gradually, stirring constantly.