Bellini

By Kia Damon

Published May 29, 2024

Bellini — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Total Time: 10 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4(9)
Notes: Read community notes

When summer peaks and ripe peaches fill farmers’ market stands and grocery stores, one of the most simple and seasonal beverages you can make is a bellini. A fragrant cocktail of (preferably white) peach purée and Prosecco, it’s said to have originated in Venice, Italy, by way of Giuseppe Cipriani of Harry’s Bar. The crisp, bubbly nature of the Prosecco is a perfect foil for the sugary sweetness of ripe peaches. Even though fresh ripe fruit is ideal, this drink also takes well to frozen peaches, just be sure to defrost them completely before making the purée. Frozen peaches can sometimes be tart or sour, so taste the purée and add sweetener if needed.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

1pound ripe peaches or 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peaches, thawed
1bottle (750 milliliters) Prosecco, chilled
Mint, for garnishing

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
To make the peach purée, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin, then cut the peaches open to remove the pits. (Alternatively, bring water to a boil in a large pot that will fit all of the peaches; meanwhile prepare an ice bath. When the water boils, decrease the heat so the water is at a simmer, add the peaches and blanch for about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them from to the ice bath; chill for five minutes. After you remove the peaches from the bath, you can easily rub the skins off.)
Step 2
Place the prepared peaches in a blender and purée until completely smooth. You should have about 1 cup purée.
Step 3
To serve, add 3 to 4 tablespoons peach purée to each glass and top with chilled Prosecco; stir to combine if desired. Garnish with mint.

Ratings

4 out of 5

9 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Golem2 weeks ago

The minute someone tells me there is only one way to make a recipe I want to do it another way. "Never use yellow peaches . . . " may be ok for some tastes but not mine since I find white peaches to be mealy and insipid. Using "a food mill or meat grinder to make the pulp and then force it through a fine sieve" is patently absurd. Use a blender and avoid all those pieces of machinery to wash just to make a couple of cocktails.

Jan I2 weeks ago

True Bellinis are made with white peaches. According to Arrigo Cipriani in the Harry's Bar Cookbook, "Never use yellow peaches to make a Bellini and never puree the peaches by machine... Use a food mill or meat grinder to make the pulp and then force it through a fine sieve. If the peach puree is very tart, sweeten it with just a little sugar syrup... 1 part peach puree to 1 part wine." Yesterday I was in Costco and the aroma of white peaches drew me to them. Buy some now and make some Bellinis!

Golem2 weeks ago

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