This creamy burst tomato pasta with burrata is simplicity at its finest! Top your pasta with easy basil breadcrumbs for a weeknight dinner you’ll want to make on repeat!
Just a few simple ingredients and a ball of creamy burrata is all you need for this 30-minute crowd pleaser.
what is burrata?
Burrata is essentially a shell of mozzarella filled with mozzarella curd and cream. It was originally developed as a way to use up mozzarella scraps by cheesemakers in Puglia, but has since gained popularity and can now easily be found in the States. And while it’s most often served fresh at room temperature, today we’re incorporating it into our pasta sauce!
When cut open, burrata oozes with a deliciously creamy filling that is impossible to resist. In this recipe, we separate that luscious filling from the casing and stir it into burst tomatoes. The result is a wonderfully creamy sauce perfect for your favorite pasta. And of course we don’t forget about the casing — it’s roughly chopped and incorporated as a topping!
For more information about how burrata is made and the differences among manufacturers, you can check out this article on tasting burrata.
making the creamy tomato sauce
The pasta sauce can be made in 3 easy steps:
- Saute the tomatoes in olive oil until they begin to burst. Use the back of a spoon to mash any unburst tomatoes.
- Add a bit of garlic.
- Stir in the creamy part of the burrata and toss with pasta!
To get a thicker consistency, make sure to let the burst tomatoes reduce for several minutes. And if you want to thin your sauce, try adding a ladleful of pasta water after stirring in the burrata.
basil breadcrumbs
We like to liven up our burrata pasta with some crunch from basil breadcrumbs. They’re completely optional, but so incredibly simple to make!
You’ll need fresh basil leaves, panko, a pinch of salt and olive oil. Then just process in the blender until the basil is finely chopped and the mixture turns green. So easy!
One note: we don’t find that the panko needs to be toasted for the breadcrumbs to taste amazing in this dish. But you could definitely cook them with a bit of butter before adding them to the food processor if desired.
burrata pasta: FAQs
We prefer a tubular ridged pasta for this dish and generally use rigatoni or penne.
I prefer grape tomatoes for this sauce, but cherry tomatoes (which are a bit sweeter) will also work well.
To get a creamy burst tomato sauce without burrata, try mixing in a splash of heavy cream or a bit of ricotta.
For more easy pasta recipes, make sure to check out these posts!
- creamy chorizo pasta
- lemon arugula pasta + parmesan crusted chicken
- white wine cream sauce
- creamy spinach artichoke chicken and orzo skillet
pasta with burrata
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
Top your creamy burrata pasta with easy basil breadcrumbs for a weeknight dinner you’ll want to make on repeat!
Ingredients
burrata pasta
- pasta* 8 oz (225 g)
- olive oil 3 tbsp
- grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 20 oz (570 g)
- garlic, thinly sliced 2 cloves
- burrata 8 oz (225 g)
- salt to taste
basil breadcrumbs
- panko breadcrumbs ⅔ c (40 g)
- fresh basil ½ c (20 g)
- salt pinch
- olive oil 1 tbsp
Instructions
burrata pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- Separate the creamy burrata interior from the casing and set aside for the sauce. Roughly chop the casing and set aside to use as a topping.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst (about 6-8 minutes). Use the back of a spoon to gently press the unburst cherries down and cook several minutes more.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and add the burrata cream. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Season with salt to taste. Add pasta water to thin the sauce if desired.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce. Top with pieces of the burrata casing and basil breadcrumbs.
basil breadcrumbs
- Pulse the panko, basil and salt in a food processor until the basil is finely chopped and the mixture turns green.
- Add the olive oil and continue pulsing until fully incorporated.
Notes
Pasta: We recommend rigatoni or penne for this sauce, but you can choose your favorite pasta!
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: italian
Keywords: pasta with burrata, burrata pasta
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1 comment
Delicious!
★★★★★