Hello, lovely people! Welcome to Paulina Cocina. Today we're going to talk about one of those Italian words that sounds incredibly gourmet and delicious: stracciatella .
You've probably seen it on menus at cool restaurants, on pizzas that make us cry with emotion, or perhaps it sounds like a flavor of ice cream. If you're here, you're probably wondering, " But what exactly is stracciatella? "
About the Stracciatella
Stracciatella is a creamy delicacy that lives inside the burrata , but can also shine on its own. It's a mixture of shredded mozzarella and cream that was created as a way to use up leftover cheese.
Its soft texture, delicate flavor , and versatility have made it the Italian gem that today graces pizzas , toast, and salads like a queen.
Today we are not only going to solve the mystery, but I am going to teach you how to make stracciatella at home .
Spoiler alert: it's ridiculously easy to make . Let's break this down (literally), understand why it's not the same as burrata , and discover why it's about to become your new favorite ingredient.
A little bit about the history of stracciatella
Stracciatella cheese , like many of the geniuses of Italian cuisine, was born from the need to waste nothing.
It comes from the Puglia region , the "heel" of Italy's boot, an area famous for its fresh cheeses. When making mozzarella, cheesemakers often encountered pieces and scraps that weren't perfectly shaped.
What did they do? Instead of throwing them away, they shredded them (stracciato means "frayed" or "broken" in Italian) and mixed them with fresh cream . The result: a Italian cream cheese from Pugliese cuisine.
The infallible tip for a creamy stracciatella
The big trick, the one that separates a common stracciatella from one that changes your life, is in the quality and temperature .
They need a good quality fresh mozzarella (buffalo, even better) and cream with a good fat percentage (minimum 35%).
But the most important thing is that the cream must be cold from the refrigerator and the mozzarella must be freshly shredded. Don't mix it while it's hot! The magic happens when the warm mozzarella threads are bathed in the cold cream, creating a contrast of textures and temperatures.
4 Key points of the stracciatella
- Texture: Its hallmark. A mixture of mozzarella cheese threads suspended in a thick cream.
- Flavor: Delicate, milky, and fresh. Much softer and richer than plain mozzarella thanks to the cream.
- Burrata Stracciatella: It is the burrata filling, the creamy heart.
- Versatility: It's incredibly versatile. It goes well with savory dishes (pizzas, toast, salads) and even sweet dishes (figs, honey).
The difference between stracciatella and burrata: the big question resolved
Look, don't panic. It's the most common question in the world, and it's super easy to understand. Imagine a chocolate bonbon filled with liqueur.
- Stracciatella is the filling : that glorious mix of shredded mozzarella and cream .
- Burrata is the complete bonbon a ball of fresh mozzarella that is solid on the outside and hides the stracciatella on the inside.
When you cut into a burrata, all that creamy filling (the stracciatella) spills out. So, in short: every burrata has this cheese inside, but the stracciatella can exist on its own . Mystery solved! Now you can go through life explaining this and looking like an expert.
Not all stracciatella is cheese. Is stracciatella a cheese, an ice cream flavor, or a soup?
To complicate matters a little, Italians use the word "stracciatella" for two other things. But don't worry, they're easy to tell apart.
- Stracciatella ice cream: This is an ice cream made with milk, cream, and vanilla, to which melted chocolate . The chocolate solidifies upon contact with the cold ice cream and breaks into irregular pieces. These "threads" or "broken pieces" of chocolate are what give it its name, stracciatella.
- Stracciatella in Brodo, the soup: This is a soup from central Italy , especially Rome. It consists of a hot meat broth topped with a mixture of beaten egg , Parmesan cheese, parsley, and nutmeg. Once added to the hot broth, the egg cooks into threads or rags (stracci). Again, the name comes from its "ragged" appearance .
Variations and uses for your homemade stracciatella
Once you have your bowl of homemade stracciatella , the sky's the limit. Here are some ideas for appetizers and inspiration for enjoying this creamy Italian cheese .
- Pizza: Prepare your homemade pizza and, right out of the oven, top it with a few generous spoonfuls of stracciatella. The residual heat will warm it slightly and blend with the rest of the ingredients. It's spectacular!
- Stracciatella on toast with tomato and anchovies: A luxurious Italian appetizer slice of homemade bread , rub it with a little garlic, grate tomato over it, add a drizzle of good olive oil, top with the cheese, and top with one or two quality anchovies. A delicacy!
- Stracciatella in salads: Forget feta cheese for a day and try adding it to a salad . It pairs brilliantly with arugula, cherry tomatoes, fresh figs, grilled peaches, and a balsamic vinegar dressing .
7 Key Tips for a Perfect Stracciatella
- Quality above all: Use fresh, high-quality mozzarella and cream. It's key to flavor.
- Hand fraying: Do not use a food processor. The beauty is in the uneven threads.
- Controlled temperature: The water used to heat the mozzarella must be hot (80–85°C), not boiling.
- Always cold cream: Straight from the refrigerator.
- Season at the end: Taste before salting, the mozzarella already has salt.
- Consume stracciatella cheese within the day: If it does not lose its texture.
- Try variations: Lemon, black pepper, chopped basil for savory lovers. Figs, honey, nuts for those who prefer a contrasting flavor .
Final recipe: Homemade Stracciatella step by step
Yield: For a generous bowl (2-4 people)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: Not applicable
Ingredients
- 250g of fresh mozzarella balls (buffalo mozzarella is even better)
- 100-150 ml of whipping cream (milk cream) with 35% fat, very cold
- Salt
- Newly ground black pepper (optional)
- A splash of extra virgin olive oil (optional)
How to make stracciatella step by step
- Prepare the mozzarella: Drain the mozzarella ball well of its whey. into thin strands with your hands in a bowl
- Heat (optional, for extra creaminess): If you're looking for an even softer texture, heat water in a pot until hot but not boiling (about 85°C). Submerge the mozzarella strands in the hot water for 30-40 seconds using a colander. This will soften them. Drain well.
- Mix with the cream: Immediately pour the chilled cream over the mozzarella strands. Stir gently with a spoon. The mixture will become incredibly creamy.
- Season: Taste the mixture, add salt to taste, and a little black pepper (optional). You can also add a drizzle of olive oil for extra shine and flavor.
- Serve: Serve immediately.
