Gnocchi with Stracciatella
Stracciatella cheese is fresh mozzarella shreds in cream, the soft filling inside burrata. It brings two textures to a plate of gnocchi: loose cream around delicate strands of cheese.
Why tomato is such a good partner
The cheese is mild and milky; tomato is sharper and more juicy. Together they keep a rich plate from tasting uniformly creamy. On browned gnocchi, there is a third contrast from the crisp surface. The cheese remains recognizable, so one forkful may be more tomato-forward and the next more creamy.
Stracciatella or burrata?
A whole burrata has an outer mozzarella shell as well as the soft center. Stracciatella on its own is spoonable and easier to spread across a dish. Neither is the same experience as a melted cheese sauce. With shrimp, the gentle dairy flavor leaves the seafood's sweetness noticeable rather than replacing it with a sharper cheese taste.