Gelato alla Vaniglia

Split the Vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife. Put the seeds and the scraped pod into a saucepan with the Whole milk and the Fresh cream. Warm the mixture gently until it just begins to steam and show small bubbles around the edge, then remove from heat and let the vanilla steep for 20–30 minutes to infuse.

While the milk is steeping, whisk the Egg yolks with the Granulated sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (ribbon stage).

Return the milk-cream mixture to a gentle heat until it's again steaming (do not boil). Slowly temper the yolk mixture by whisking and adding a ladleful of the hot milk into the yolks, repeating until about half the hot liquid is incorporated, then pour everything back into the saucepan.

Cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 80–82°C or when it leaves a clean line on your finger). Remove from heat immediately to avoid curdling.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any solids, then place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until it cools. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, preferably several hours or overnight.

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft, gelato-like consistency. Transfer the gelato to a container, smooth the surface, and freeze for at least 2–4 hours to firm up.

Before serving, let the gelato sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly for easy scooping, then serve and enjoy the pure vanilla flavor.