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.

Where can you buy burrata?

You can usually find burrata cheese in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores, at cheese shops, or in Italian markets.

Do you drain the water from burrata?

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.

Can this Christmas pasta be made ahead of time?

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!

Easy Christmas Pasta with Burrata Snowmen

Name: Easy Christmas Pasta with Burrata Snowmen
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
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

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

Scale

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

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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.