Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese from the Puglia region of Italy. It’s made from a “pouch” of stretched mozzarella cheese that is then filled with a soft stringy curd and fresh cream (cream-soaked stracciatella). On the outside, it looks similar to a fresh ball of mozzarella but the magic happens once you slice it open to reveal the soft, creamy inside.

Where can you buy burrata?

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

Do you need to drain the water from burrata?

Yes, you will need to remove the burrata from the water it is stored in. It comes stored in water to keep the burrata moist and helps retain its shape.

Does burrata cheese melt?

Yes it does if heated up. I prefer adding the fresh burrata on top of the pasta at the end. It slightly melts from the heat of the pasta and the creamy inside adds a nice contrast to the pasta. I love the different flavors and textures of serving the burrata with pasta this way. However, you could also toss it through to melt it in more and combine everything together.

What to serve with this burrata pasta?

I usually serve it with a simple salad. You could also add some garlic bread for full on comfort food. It would also be delicious with some added protein like some chicken, shrimp or steak for example.

Burrata Pasta (with Cherry Tomato Garlic Butter Sauce)

Name: Burrata Pasta (with Cherry Tomato Garlic Butter Sauce)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 tablespoons butter; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 8 ounces (227 grams) uncooked long pasta (i.e. spaghetti, bucatini, fettuccine, linguine); 1 large ball fresh burrata cheese (about 8 ounces/227 grams) or 2 smaller ones; Garnish: chopped fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and flaky salt

Description

This burrata pasta recipe is super simple to make, and the flavor is unreal! Tossed in a delicious cherry tomato garlic butter sauce and topped with creamy burrata that slightly melts in with every bite, it’s pure magic.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 ounces (227 grams) uncooked long pasta (i.e. spaghetti, bucatini, fettuccine, linguine)
1 large ball fresh burrata cheese (about 8 ounces/227 grams) or 2 smaller ones
Garnish: chopped fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and flaky salt

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Instructions

Make cherry tomato garlic butter sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally until the tomatoes burst and begin to break down and release their juices (about 10-12 minutes). Add the butter, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for a few more minutes until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant. Reduce heat to low, stir through the chopped fresh basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta: While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
Toss pasta with sauce: Once the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer it directly into the pan with the sauce and toss to combine. Add a bit of the starchy pasta water if needed to make the sauce come together to coat the pasta (see notes).
Top with burrata and garnish: Place the ball of burrata cheese on top of the pasta and gently break it open or tear up into smaller pieces and scatter over the pasta. Garnish with some fresh chopped basil and toasted pine nuts. I also love to add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the torn open burrata as well as a sprinkle of flaky salt and some freshly ground black pepper to season it.
Serve immediately: Pop the pan on the table for everyone to dig in and serve themselves. You can also first plate up the pasta and sauce in a serving dish before adding the burrata and garnish on top. Or you can plate the pasta individually with smaller balls of burrata or pieces torn from a larger ball on top. The burrata will slightly melt into the hot pasta with each bite – so good! I love the flavor and texture contrast of adding the fresh burrata to the pasta at the end. It slightly melts from the heat of the pasta and the creamy inside adds a nice contrast. However, you can also toss through chunks of burrata with the warm pasta in the pan until melted and combined before plating it if you prefer

Notes

What is burrata? Burrata is a a fresh Italian cheese from the Puglia region of Italy made from a “pouch” of stretched mozzarella cheese that is filled with creamy stracciatella cheese (cream soaked soft stringy curd). You can find it in the specialty cheese section of most larger grocery stores, in Italian markets or cheese shops. Make sure to drain off the liquid that the burrata is stored in and pat it dry.
Take burrata out of the fridge before starting: Burrata tastes best when it has a chance to come to room temperature first for the ultimate creamy center. Just pull it out of the fridge before you start the recipe.
Reserve some starchy pasta water: I find that the sauce is usually pretty “saucy” and I naturally get some of the starchy pasta cooking water added in if I transfer the cooked pasta with tongs directly once finished cooking into the pan with the sauce. However, if the pasta is done earlier and needs to be drained first, remember to scoop out a little of the starchy pasta water first so that you can add a little in later for the perfect silky sauce consistency that clings to the pasta when tossing together.