Burrata pasta is simplicity at its best! Pair this rich cheese with a hearty tomato and basil sauce for a seriously great, easy dinner.
Burrata cheese is one of life’s greatest pleasures (if you’re a cheese lover like us). One of the best ways to turn this into a meal? The Burrata Noodles, a fine example of Italian culinary simplicity. Majestic balls of fresh mozzarella rest on swirls of pasta intertwined with a rustic tomato and basil sauce. Penetrating the cheese releases its creamy, rich interior with every bite. We just couldn’t stop eating this dish and immediately put it on our “Best of” menu list.
What exactly is burrata?
Burrata is a fresh Italian mozzarella cheese filled with cream and vsheese scraps, called striciatelle. When you cut the ball, the creamy cheese spreads: perfect for topping pasta and pizza.
If it sounds rich, that’s because it is! Burrata is higher in fat than regular mozzarella and most other cheeses. This cheese originated in southern Italy and is now served across the country and around the world. It’s a bit more expensive for a cheese but worth it. If you want to impress, it’s burrata to the end.
Ingredients of this burrata pasta
Burrata is a fantastic garnish for pasta because it’s rich, delicious, and because it looks eye-catching! We adapted this recipe that a friend made for us one summer evening. The spaghetti looks amazing topped with burrata balls and sliced cherry tomatoes shine. What you need for these burrata noodles:
- Burrata Cheese
- Whole canned tomatoes, if possible San Marzano
- Garlic
- basil
- olive oil
- cherry tomatoes
- parmesan cheese
- Spaghetti or bucatini pasta
Make a rustic tomato and basil sauce
The main purpose for these burrata noodles? Make the Rustic Basil Tomato Sauce. Here are some tips to keep in mind with this method:
- Look for canned whole San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are an Italian variety of tomato (not a trademark). They have the best sweet and developed flavor right out of the box. They’re increasingly available in many US grocery stores, so you should be able to find them in the canned tomatoes section. It’s worth looking for them here.
- You will mash the tomatoes into a sauce using a potato masher. Whole tomatoes taste a cut better than mashed tomatoes. So for this sauce you mash it yourself with a potato masher! See photo for approximate texture.
- This results in a thick texture. The thick, rustic texture gives off nice bursts of tomato and basil flavor. You can blend it to make it smoother, but we prefer it that way.
How to serve these burrata noodles
This burrata pasta recipe is all about the presentation! It tastes best when served on a large platter with all the trimmings. Here are some points to consider:
- Garnish with burrata balls and slice to serve. Since each eater helps themselves, they can cut up a bit of burrata. Alternatively, you can break the burrata into small pieces and gently toss.
- Cherry tomatoes are optional! They’re perfect when serving up burrata noodles in the summer. If you can’t find good tomatoes, leave them out and it’s just as good.
- Garnish with basil, olive oil and pepper. It’s all in the presentation here! Get creative and top off your masterpiece with basil and cherry tomatoes. We also like some black peppercorns.
A few ideas for side dishes
What else can you serve with this delicious burrata pasta to make a meal out of it? This dish is perfect with a few salads in the summer or with garlic bread in the winter. Here are some tasty options:
More recipes with burrata
The burrata is the better treat! Here are some other ways to use it:
The description
Burrata pasta is simplicity at its best! Pair this rich cheese with a hearty tomato and basil sauce for a seriously great, easy dinner.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 28 ounces whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup roughly chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 8 ounces Spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- ½ litre red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (or omit if not in season)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces (2 balls) Burrata cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper for serving (optional)
- Prepare the tomato basil sauce: Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Add the whole tomatoes with the liquid from the can, being careful as it may splatter when the tomatoes touch the hot oil. Use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes into small pieces (see sauce photo above). Add kosher salt and chopped basil leaves and bring to high heat. Cover the pan with a slightly ajar lid and simmer until thickened, 10-12 minutes. (If you prefer a smoother texture, you can mix them in the dip mix, but we strongly recommend the chunky rustic texture here.)
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente. Set the timer a few minutes less than the package directions say, then taste: the pasta should be just cooked through and still slightly firm. Drain the noodles and put them back into the pot. If the sauce isn’t cooked, add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.
- Surcharge: Toss the noodles in the sauce until well coated. Place in a bowl and garnish with grated parmesan. Add the two burrata balls and arrange the cherry tomatoes around them. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few pinches of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and additional chopped basil. When serving, ask each eater to break off pieces of the burrata for their portion, or simply break them into chunks and toss lightly into the noodles.
- Category: main course
- Method: pasta
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegetarian
