Italian Skillet Cheesecake

This is a beautifully light, not too sweet ricotta cheesecake, cooked by a unique method: baked in a skillet. It might be considered a direct descendant of the hearth-baked cheesecakes of ancient Rome.

For this recipe, you will need an 8-inch nonstick skillet with an ovenproof handle. (You can improvise with an 8-inch cake pan, if you handle it carefully.)

If at all possible, try this with freshly made ricotta, available at some cheese stores and Italian markets—its sweet mi