Stracciatella

Stracciatella will surprise you

Stracciatella is a very surprising cheese in more ways than one. A mixture of shreds of fresh mozzarella bathed in sweet, velvety cream, stracciatella is the decadently rich and creamy surprise at the center of every ball of burrata cheese. It’s a culinary revelation when spooned over crostini, paired with peaches, or dolloped on pizza. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is how little most people know about this creamy delight – and how anyone can ever stop eating it after discovering what stracciatella can do!

Wisconsin’s own stracciatella

While stracciatella originated in the sunny southern region of Puglia, Italy, today you can find this creamy, fresh variety in Wisconsin, The State of Cheese™. After making award-winning burrata for decades, BelGioioso Cheese in Green Bay now makes and sells the stracciatella from their burrata cheese as a standalone product for cheese lovers who crave this heavenly delicacy on pasta, salads, and warm bread with fresh slices of tomato. It’s the kind of innovation you’d expect from a Wisconsin cheesemaking family that’s been committed to quality, history, tradition, and innovation since first arriving here from Italy.

All about stracciatella

Stracciatella is prized for its fresh, mild flavor and a texture that combines the richness of cream with smooth strands of mozzarella curd.

Where stracciatella comes from

Stracciatella hails from Puglia, Italy, the same region that’s responsible for bringing burrata to the world. The cheese was initially created to use the leftover mozzarella curd by transforming it into a creamy delicacy and wrapping it in a pouch of fresh mozzarella curd, producing a ball of burrata. The result was a cheese that not only prevented waste but also added a new, decadent delight to the pantheon of other famous Italian cheeses. The name “stracciatella” comes from the Italian word “straccia,” which means “rags” or “shreds.”

How stracciatella is made

Stracciatella is created with the same process for making mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella cheese. To coagulate the milk from cows or buffalo, cheesemakers add rennet along with the bacterial cultures that are responsible for the wonderful chemistry that transforms milk into cheese. Once the milk curd has formed, it’s cut into small cubes and gently heated to acidify the curd. After draining off some of the watery whey, the curd is heated in the salty water, then gently shaped and pulled by hand to create pasta filata, which literally translates as “spun paste.” This is what gives mozzarella its iconic stringy and stretchy quality. At this point, to make stracciatella, the curd is torn into small shreds by hand and mixed with fresh cream, and voilà, stracciatella is born.

How to enjoy stracciatella with food and drinks

Cooking with stracciatella

The only limitation to using stracciatella in the kitchen is your imagination.

• On bread: Slather some of this mild, creamy cheese onto fresh artisan bread, crisp crostini, or toasted sourdough and you’ve got an instant snack that feels fancy and decadent without trying too hard. Add a little olive oil, sea salt, and a drizzle of honey for a veritable party in your mouth.
• In salads: Stracciatella adds a luxurious texture to salads, especially when combined with roasted veggies and ripe tomatoes over a mix of greens. Add a few leaves of fresh basil, some heirloom tomatoes, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a salad you won’t soon forget.
• On pizza and pasta: Adding a spoonful of stracciatella to a pizza fresh out of the oven will take your pie to a whole new level. The cheese will melt into a creamy, dreamy sauce that adds an explosion of flavor and texture to every bite. A dollop of stracciatella on spaghetti bolognese or gnocchi with marinara sauce adds a whole new layer of goodness.
• With fruit: Pair stracciatella with fresh peaches, figs, or melons for a sweet, creamy treat.
• On the cheese board: Stracciatella’s easy-to-spread texture makes it a natural for cheese and charcuterie spreads. Pair it with stronger varieties like iberico cheese, aged parmesan reggiano, and sharp cheddar for a wonderful flavor journey.

Drinking with stracciatella

As a mild-mannered cheese that aims to please, stracciatella gets along beautifully with almost anything you want to drink.

• Wine: The creamy texture of this cheese pairs nicely with a crisp white wine like sauvignon blanc or a lightly oaked chardonnay. The bubbles in a sparkling wine like prosecco bring a nice contrast to the richness and subtle tang of the cheese.
• Beer: A light, refreshing pilsner or a fruity wheat beer is a great match for stracciatella. The beer will complement the milky decadence of the cheese without overwhelming its delicate flavors.
• Spirits: A gin and tonic with a twist of citrus serves up a refreshing contrast to the depth of the cheese’s richness. For something bolder, a smooth, slightly smoky whiskey or bourbon will take stracciatella to new levels of decadence.