32 Luscious Mozzarella and Burrata Cheese Recipes

Buffalo Mozzarella with Neat and Messy Tomatoes
Photo: © Con Poulos

Fresh mozzarella is like the vanilla of the cheese world, and by no stretch (pun intended!) are we slinging that as an insult. Rather, both have creamy, clean, beautifully nuanced flavors that have escalated them to the top: Mozzarella is one of the most popular cheeses, and like vanilla, it's versatile enough to complement a host of other flavors as much as it can be enjoyed unadorned. This collection is dedicated to all things mozzarella and its creamier cousin, burrata. From salads and sandwiches to pasta and pizza, these recipes celebrate the simple, sophisticated cheeses in all their luscious glory.

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Charred Eggplant with Burrata and Pomegranate-Walnut Relish

Charred Eggplant Recipe
Caitlin Bensel

Velvety eggplant is paired with a tart yet earthy relish of walnuts, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Toasting the walnuts enhances their full nutty, slightly bitter character and plays well against the bright pomegranate arils, which provide fresh bursts of juicy sweetness. "The burrata brings unbridled decadence to this dish, providing an oozy, creamy backdrop for the eggplant and relish," cookbook author Hetty McKinnon writes. 

02 of 32

Persimmon and Burrata Salad with Sesame Candy

Persimmon-and-Burrata Salad with Sesame Candy
© Luis Garcia

The Fuyu persimmon that chef Helene Henderson uses in this beautiful salad is light orange and shaped like a tomato. Don’t confuse it with the Hachiya variety, which is a deeper orange, heart-shaped, and only edible when very soft to the touch. When she can’t find good persimmons, Henderson makes the salad with other seasonal fruit, like nectarines.

03 of 32

Herbed Fazzoletti with Asparagus and Burrata

Herbed Fazzoletti with Asparagus and Burrata. Photo © Con Poulos
© Con Poulos

Parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil are pureed and tossed with pasta, asparagus, cheese, and pine nuts for this elegant dish. It pairs wonderfully with a cold glass of white wine, such as steely Italian Pinot Grigio.

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Orecchiette with Greens, Mozzarella, and Chickpeas

Orecchiette with Greens, Mozzarella and Chickpeas
© John Kernick

For this fragrant recipe, the chickpeas are fried and spiced, then get strewn across the medley of tender pasta, garlicky veggies, and fresh mozzarella and basil. Try the dish with a fruit-forward Pinot Gris.

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Prosciutto-Mozzarella Piadine

Prosciutto-Mozzarella Piadine
© Marcus Nilsson

This Italian flatbread sandwich is stuffed with warm mozzarella cheese, arugula, and thinly sliced prosciutto.

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Melon and Peach Salad with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

Melon-and-Peach Salad with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
© Mark Roper

Chef Andy Glover uses smoked pork in this dish, but prosciutto is also tasty. Simply toss everything together and serve.

07 of 32

Margherita Tortilla Pizzas

Margherita Tortilla Pizzas
© Tom Hopkins

Chef Jacques Pépin makes quick pizzas with pita bread, lavash, or flour tortillas, like this simple mozzarella and tomato pie.

08 of 32

Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan

Sheet pan eggplant parmesan
Victor Protasio

A quick broil followed by a longer bake makes this no-fry recipe hands-off enough to put together on a Tuesday, with results delicious enough for a weekend dinner party. Be sure to let the eggplant drain to achieve the best charred eggplant texture.

09 of 32

Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce

Smoked Mozzarella Mezzalune with Braised Onion Sauce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford

Mezzelune (which means "half moons" in Italian) is a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. It's relatively simple to shape and requires little equipment to make at home. The accompanying thick, rich, slow-cooked tomato and onion sauce is loosely inspired by a Bolognese classic called il friggione. 

10 of 32

Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion, and Soppressata Pizza

Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion and Soppressata Pizza. Photo © David Malosh
© David Malosh

Soppressata tops this clever prebaked-crust pizza, along with mashed sweet potatoes, caramelized onion, and mozzarella cheese. Enjoy it with a juicy, medium-bodied Pinot Noir. 

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Risotto Nero with Squash and Burrata

Risotto nero with Squash and Burrata
Chris Court

Chef Nancy Oakes makes this gorgeous risotto with Venere black rice, a naturally black short-grain variety. The glossy grains are especially striking served with the golden butternut squash puree and creamy white burrata. 

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Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
Greg Dupree

In this recipe, delicate zucchini blossoms are stuffed with melty mozzarella and salty prosciutto before being lightly battered and fried into a crispy melt-in-your-mouth treat. 

13 of 32

Potato and Mozzerella Croquettes

Potato-and-Mozzarella Croquettes
FREDRIKA STJÄRNE

These light and cheesy fried potato croquettes are breaded twice: They’re dredged in breadcrumbs, dipped in beaten eggs seasoned with mustard and garlic, then dredged in breadcrumbs once more. The payoff is a super-crisp, flavorful crust for the filling of soft mashed potato and melted cheese.

14 of 32

Caprese Burgers

Caprese Burgers Recipe
© Ryan Liebe

In this play on the classic Italian salad, basil pesto is kneaded into ground beef before grilling, The cooked burgers are then topped with mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and even more pesto.

15 of 32

Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce

Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce
© Bree Hester

Here’s a true crowd-pleaser: pasta shells in a simple sauce of ground beef, tomatoes, and pesto, layered with mozzarella and Parmesan and baked until bubbly. Fusilli or orecchiette would work well here, too.

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Grilled Cheese with Spinach and Tomato Sauce

Grilled Cheese with Spinach-and-Tomato Sauce
© ASHLEY COLBOURNE

Call it an adult version of the grilled cheese sandwich: Slices of country bread are layered with mozzarella, goat cheese, and tomato-sauced spinach, then toasted to a golden brown.

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Chicken Caprese Salad

Chicken Caprese Salad
© Con Poulos

Bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) are often sold floating in herbed olive oil. That tasty oil is essential to this three-ingredient recipe because it adds so much flavor to both the chicken marinade and the dressing.

18 of 32

Pizza Vesuvio with the Works

Pizza Vesuvio with the Works. Photo © Anson Smart
© Anson Smart

This half-pizza, half-calzone is named for Italy’s Mount Vesuvius. It's topped with everything delicious: artichokes, mozzarella, ricotta, ham, salami, mushrooms, olives, and of course, marinara.

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Arancini with Peas and Mozzarella

Arancini with Peas and Mozzarella
© Matt Armendariz

“My Calabrian grandmother always used plain white rice to make her incredible arancini (rice balls),” says former F&W editor Grace Parisi, “but I prefer to cook with plump arborio because I think it makes the insides creamier.”

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Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

© Greg DuPree

Chef Nancy Silverton is an Italian cooking expert, getting the biggest flavor from the simplest ingredients. She does just that with this hearty salad, which combines crisp iceberg lettuce, milky mozzarella, spicy-tangy peperoncini, and salty olives and salami.  

21 of 32

Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna

Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna
© John Kernick

For this streamlined version of chef Fabio Trabocchi’s luxe lasagna in bianco (white lasagna), he layers flat noodles with a supremely rich sauce, along with a root vegetable ragù, fresh mozzarella, and whole basil leaves.

22 of 32

Crispy Arepitas with Mozzarella and Chorizo

Crispy Arepitas with Mozzarella and Chorizo
© Quentin Bacon

Chef Michelle Berstein makes mini arepas, or arepitas, to serve as canapés, adding cheese and chorizo to the dough. They're her answer to the corn dog.

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Grilled Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Unagi Sauce

Grilled Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Unagi Sauce
© John Kernick

Chicago chef Stephanie Izard makes the ultimate summer salad with a creamy version of sweet-salty Japanese unagi sauce, which is typically brushed over eel.

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Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni

Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni.
© Quentin Bacon

Chef Bryan Vietmeier merges two Italian-American favorites here: chicken parm and pepperoni.

25 of 32

Portobello Mushroom and Red Pepper Pizza

Portobello-Mushroom and Red-Pepper Pizza

© SARA FORTE

This delicious homemade pizza is topped with meaty portobello mushrooms, creamy mozzarella cheese, sweet red peppers, and fresh basil. It serves two to four people.

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Cucumber and Radish Salad with Burrata

Cucumber-and-Radish Salad with Burrata
© Christina Holmes

The tasty dressing for this salad comes from the juices that form while the cucumber macerates with the other ingredients.

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Pasta with Marinated Grilled Eggplant, Burrata, and Chiles

Pasta with Marinated Grilled Eggplant, Burrata and Chiles
© Con Poulos

Torn pieces of burrata are tossed into the orecchiette just after it’s cooked so the cheese melts ever so slightly into the pasta, which is laced with chunks of tender, smoky eggplant.

28 of 32

Grilled Apricots with Burrata, Country Ham, and Arugula

201109-r-grilled-apricots-with-burrata-country-ham-and-arugula-HD.jpg

Depending on the season, chef Travis Lett also makes this salad with plums, peaches, or pears.

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Buffalo Mozzarella with Neat and Messy Roasted Tomatoes

Buffalo Mozzarella with Neat and Messy Tomatoes
© Con Poulos

Cookbook author Rachel Roddy serves tomatoes roasted two ways for a range of delicious tomato flavor as well as a beautiful presentation.

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Zucchini with Niçoise Olives and Burrata

Zucchini with Niçoise Olives and Burrata
© Michael Turek

Star chef and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio captures the essence of zucchini by braising it quickly and then tossing it with briny olives.

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Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella

Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella
© Emma Lee

The delicate taste of fresh mozzarella offers a delicious counterpoint to the garlic and vinegar-macerated zucchini.

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Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil
Quentin Bacon

These warm sandwiches are best made with thin ciabatta, so you can get your mouth around them. Feel free to add pesto, tapenade, or a garlicky aïoli to make them even more delicious.

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