A work trip to Nashville introduced me to an ingredient I had unknowingly been enjoying for years.

One evening I ordered a beet salad on a bed of stracciatella and immediately wondered why it wasn’t served this way more often. If you’re familiar with burrata—one of the world’s greatest cheeses, in my opinion—you’ve already enjoyed stracciatella. It’s the luscious, creamy filling tucked inside the mozzarella shell. Remove that outer layer and you’re left with nothing but silky ribbons of fresh mozzarella and cream.

The name can be a little confusing. Stracciatella also refers to a popular Italian gelato flavored with delicate shards of chocolate. Despite sharing a name, they’re completely different. In Italian, stracciatella means ‘little shreds,’ referring to the shredded strands of cheese in the creamy filling—or the little shreds of chocolate in the gelato.

After returning home, I discovered that Wegmans carries stracciatella under its Italian Classics line, labeled ‘Burrata Filling (Stracciatella)’ made for them by BelGioioso. That inspired this effortless summer appetizer.

I stirred two generous spoonfuls of my homemade Radish Greens Pesto into an 8-ounce container of stracciatella spread onto a plate, leaving pretty ribbons of green throughout rather than fully mixing it together. A drizzle of good olive oil and a few pinches of flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) were all it needed.

I like to serve it alongside an assortment of crudités from Bryn Clovis Farm in Malvern, Pennsylvania, along with crackers. Both times it disappeared quickly and received rave reviews. It would also be good with slices of baguette.

Don’t have Radish Greens Pesto? Traditional basil pesto (Basil Pesto or Freezer Basil Pesto) is perfect, especially this time of year when basil is overflowing in many gardens. Store-bought pesto or another favorite variation works just as well. This is one of those recipes where exact measurements aren’t necessary—simply swirl in as much pesto as tastes right to you.

One bonus discovery: leftovers make an excellent pasta sauce. I tossed the remaining pesto-stracciatella with pasta and vegetables the next evening, and it was every bit as delicious. Since stracciatella is best enjoyed within a few days of opening, I recommend starting with an 8-ounce container.

Simple, fresh and wonderfully creamy, this appetizer is tailor-made for easy summer entertaining.