Panna cotta ("cooked cream") is a fantastically elegant and delicate pudding originating in the Piemonte region, but nowadays enjoyed all over Italy. It's a wonderful dessert for spring and summer as it's served chilled, doesn't require any baking, and pairs wonderfully with all sorts of fresh fruit or fruit sauces, though it can also be served with chocolate sauce, caramel, or really any dessert topping you can think of. 

Some suggestions for topping recipes: cherry compote, blueberry-wine coulis, easy homemade chocolate sauce.

Originally it was made by boiling cream together with fish bones, but now gelatin (in either powder or sheet form) is the much-easier-to-find (and probably more appetizing) thickener of choice.

Making it with a vanilla bean gives the finished pudding a lovely, rich vanilla flavor and an attractive speckled appearance, but you may use vanilla extract or vanilla paste instead.