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This Christmas pasta is a total win – easy to make, super delicious, and topped with the most adorable burrata snowmen. Fun, festive, and perfect for the holiday season!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItIf you haven’t tried burrata with pasta yet…oh my goodness, you are seriously missing out! I’m completely obsessed! I’ve already shared a few recipes featuring this magical combination like my Burrata Pasta with Cherry Tomato Garlic Butter Sauce and Halloween Spaghetti with Burrata Ghosts. So naturally, I couldn’t resist creating a fun and festive Christmas version too!
3 Reasons To Make This Christmas Pasta
- Easy to make: This is a quick and simple recipe – exactly what we need during the busy holiday season!
- So fun and cute: The burrata snowmen on top are absolutely adorable and sure to be a hit! It’s such a fun and simple way to add some festive vibes to a spaghetti dinner!
- Super delicious: The combo of pasta with creamy burrata is SO GOOD!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this fun and festive pasta with burrata snowmen on top!
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
- Spaghetti: I used spaghetti but you can use any type of pasta you like.
- Tomato Sauce/Marinara: You can use your favorite homemade or jarred sauce.
- Burrata: Each burrata snowman is made from two small balls of burrata cheese. For the two snowmen on top of the pasta in the photos, I used 4x100g balls of burrata (about 3.5 to 4 ounces each). If you can only find larger balls of burrata, no worries – just make one big snowman instead of two smaller ones!
- Black Olives: To make the eyes, mouth and buttons on the snowmen. If you don’t like olives, check out the variations section below for other options.
- Carrot: Cut small “carrot-shaped” noses out of a carrot or baby carrot.
- Prosciutto: For the snowman’s scarf.
- Garnish: Garnish with some fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese – delicious and adds some more festive colors!
Variations
- Use a different pasta shape: You can swap the spaghetti for any pasta shape you love!
- Substitutes for the olives: For the snowmen’s eyes, mouth and buttons, I used a straw to cut little circles out of black olives. But you’ve got options if olives aren’t your thing. You could use black peppercorns (just make sure to remove them before eating if you’re not a fan of biting into a whole peppercorn – this is why I opted for the black olives). Capers could work too, or you could even draw the details on with a bit of balsamic glaze. Get creative!
- Swap the carrot: You could also cut a carrot-shaped nose out of an orange bell pepper.
- Prosciutto substitutes: For the scarves, I used strips of prosciutto – easy and cute! If you want to keep things vegetarian, you could swap it out for roasted red pepper slices, basil or spinach leaves instead.
- Switch up the sauce: Instead of tomato sauce or marinara, use your favorite pasta sauce. A hearty Bolognese or a tasty pesto (like this Pistachio Pesto) would work great too.
- Burrata substitute: I highly recommend going with burrata – the creamy center is absolutely dreamy! But if you’re looking for an alternative, you could also make cute snowmen with round slices of fresh mozzarella.
How To Make Christmas Pasta With Burrata Snowmen
Here’s how to turn a regular spaghetti dinner into a festive Christmas pasta with the cutest burrata snowmen on top. It’s super easy and so much fun!
- Toss the spaghetti with sauce: Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions and heat up your tomato or marinara sauce. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and toss it with the sauce. You can plate it on a serving platter or keep it in a pan that looks great on the table – I used my Le Creuset Braiser in the photos.
- Top with burrata: Gently place two pairs of small burrata balls on top of the spaghetti, stacking them to create the bodies of two snowmen side by side.
- Add the snowman details: Cut two small “carrot-shaped nose” pieces from the carrot and place one on each snowman. For the eyes, mouths, and buttons, cut little circles out of black olives. I sliced off the ends and sides of a few black olives to make flat surfaces and then used two different-sized straws to punch out the circles – quick and easy! Finish by tearing a strip of prosciutto to make a scarf and wrapping it around each snowman.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan over the pasta around the snowmen to look like falling snow and add some fresh basil for a festive pop of green. Your Christmas spaghetti is now ready to serve! I like to offer flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on the side for seasoning the burrata once it’s cut open. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
A Few Tips
- Take the burrata out of the fridge first: Burrata tastes best when it’s at room temperature, so just take it out of the fridge before you start cooking.
- Prep the snowman details: While the spaghetti cooks, get the snowman features ready (like cutting out circles from olives and prepping the carrot noses) so everything’s ready to go when it’s time to assemble the pasta.
- Save a bit of starchy pasta water: Before draining the spaghetti, set aside a little of the pasta water. Use as needed when tossing the pasta with sauce to get that perfect consistency.
- Use high quality ingredients: With such a simple recipe, the flavors of each ingredient really stand out. Using quality ingredients will make it taste amazing!
FAQ
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese from the Puglia region. It’s made by creating a pouch of stretched mozzarella and filling it with creamy stracciatella. On the outside, it looks a lot like fresh mozzarella, but the real magic happens when you slice it open and discover the creamy goodness inside.
You can usually find burrata cheese in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores, at cheese shops, or in Italian markets.
Yes, you’ll need to remove the burrata from the water and gently pat it dry. The liquid it’s stored in keeps it from drying out.
If you’re making a homemade sauce, you can prep that in advance. But the final dish is best served immediately once assembled. The good news is that it’s quick to put together!
What To Serve With It
Serve it with some garlic bread or breadsticks and a simple mixed salad or Caesar salad. Or, for a little extra fun, pair it with one of these festive Christmas salads:
I hope you love this easy and fun Christmas pasta idea! If you give it a try, drop a comment below – I’d love to hear what you think!
Easy Christmas Pasta with Burrata Snowmen
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 (as a main) 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Christmas pasta is a total win – easy to make, super delicious, and topped with the most adorable burrata snowmen. Fun, festive, and perfect for the holiday season!
Ingredients
- 1 (1 pound/454 gram) package of spaghetti, or your favorite pasta shape
- 3 cups tomato sauce or marinara, or to taste
- 4 small balls of burrata cheese, see notes
- 3–4 black olives
- 1 small carrot or baby carrot
- 1 slice of prosciutto
- garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil
Instructions
- Toss the spaghetti with tomato sauce: Cook the spaghetti according to package directions and heat up the tomato or marinara sauce. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and toss it with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter or keep it in a pan that looks great on the table (I used my Le Creuset Braiser).
- Top with burrata: Gently place two pairs of small burrata balls on top of the spaghetti, stacking them to create the bodies of two snowmen standing side-by-side.
- Add the details: Time to add the little details that bring the snowmen to life! Cut two small carrot-shaped pieces from the carrot to make their noses and place one on each snowman. For the eyes, mouths, and buttons, cut little circles out of black olives. I sliced off the ends and sides of the olives to make flat surfaces and then used two different-sized straws to punch out the circles – quick and easy! Finally, tear the slice of prosciutto into two strips and wrap them around your snowmen’s necks as scarves.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan over the pasta around the snowmen to look like falling snow and add some fresh basil for a festive pop of green. That’s it – serve right away and enjoy! I also like to set out some flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a little olive oil for drizzling over the burrata once it’s cut open. Delicious!
Notes
- Burrata: Take the burrata out of the fridge before you get started since it tastes the best at room temperature. Make sure to remove it from the liquid it’s stored in and gently pat it dry before placing on the pasta. I used four 100g (about 3.5-4 ounces) balls of burrata to make two snowmen. But, if you can only find the larger balls of burrata, no problem – just make one big snowman instead of two smaller ones!
- Variations: Check out the Variations section for plenty of substitution ideas, including other ingredients you can use to decorate your snowmen.
- Prep tip: While the spaghetti cooks, get the snowman features ready (like cutting out circles from olives and prepping the carrot noses) so everything’s ready to go when it’s time to assemble the pasta.
