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Mozzarella

Eggs & dairy · Fresh cheeses

Mozzarella

Mild, milky Italian stretched-curd cheese; fresh balls for salads, low-moisture blocks for pizza.

Also called: fresh mozzarella, mozzarella cheese

A kind of cheese

24 recipes with it

Photo: Popo le Chien, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese: curds are heated and stretched until smooth and elastic, then shaped. Fresh mozzarella (cow's milk, or buffalo milk as mozzarella di bufala) comes in soft white balls packed in whey or brine. Low-moisture mozzarella is firmer, drier and melts with more stretch and less wateriness, which is why it is used on pizza.

How it’s used

  • Pizza and baked pasta
  • Caprese salad with tomato and basil
  • Lasagne, parmigiana and arancini fillings
  • Breaded and fried mozzarella sticks
  • Toasted sandwiches and panini

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, fresh, milky and lightly salty.
Texture
Soft and springy fresh; firmer and rubbery-smooth when low-moisture.
When cooked
Melts into long strings. Fresh mozzarella releases water, so drain and pat it dry before baking.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep fresh balls in their liquid and eat within a few days of opening; low-moisture blocks keep longer wrapped. Grated mozzarella freezes for cooking.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains milk (allergen).

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
299 kcal
Protein
22.17 g
Carbohydrate
2.4 g
Fat
22.14 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with mozzarella

See all 24

12 more

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