What pasta is best to use?

I'm using classic spaghetti here, but you can use whatever pasta you prefer. Penne, fusilli, and linguine would all be great here, as would orzo.

I can't find burrata, what else can I use?

You could use a ball of buffalo mozzarella, goat's cheese or feta (like the original!)

You can! It will last for five days in the fridge in an airtight container. Either reheat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or gently reheat it in a pot on the stove for a couple of minutes. You may need to add a little water just to loosen the sauce up again.

Do you eat the skin of burrata?

Yes! The 'skin' is just mozzarella, and the inside is the creamy mozzarella mix. So eat the whole thing, and enjoy every bite.

Baked Burrata and Tomato Pasta

Description

Think the baked feta pasta is good? Wait until you try this DELICIOUS creamy, oozy baked burrata and tomato pasta. The burrata breaks down in the oven and combines with cherry tomatoes, garlic, thyme and olive oil to make the most luscious pasta sauce around.

Just throw everything in an oven dish, bake, and then stir through the cooked pasta. It couldn’t be easier.

Ingredients

Units Scale

15oz/450g cherry tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 ball of burrata cheese (approximately 125g - 150g)
A handful of fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
2 teaspoons flaky salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
250g/9oz dried pasta of your choice
Grated parmesan, to serve

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Instructions

Roast the tomatoes and burrata. Heat your oven to 425°F (220°C fan) and get a small ovenproof dish out (you could also use an oven tray). Add the cherry tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon of flaky salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the dish. Give everything a good mix, to coat in the olive oil. Make a little hole in the middle of the tomatoes, then add the ball of burrata. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over the burrata, then transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 25 minutes. You’re looking for the tomatoes to have broken down to become soft and jammy, the garlic to be looking golden and soft when pressed with a spoon and the burrata to look golden and a bit melty around the sides.
Cook your pasta. While the tomatoes and burrata are roasting in the oven, cook your pasta in a large pot of well salted water (add roughly 2 tablespoons of salt). You want the pasta to be al dente – to be cooked, but to still have a little bit of a bite to it. You don’t want it to be ‘mushy’ at this point. Depending on your pasta, this generally will take 10 minutes, but check your package instructions. Once the pasta is al dente, scoop out 1/2 a cup of the pasta cooking water (this is going to help the sauce become even silkier), then drain the pasta in a colander over the sink. Or, you can simply transfer the cooked pasta straight into your oven dish if you time it right – but don’t let the pasta sit in the water for long once it’s cooked, as it will go mushy.
Combine the pasta and sauce. Once the tomatoes and burrata are looking soft, golden and ready to go, remove the dish from the oven. Using a fork, press down on the tomatoes, garlic and burrata, mashing them and mixing them into a creamy sauce. Transfer the cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water straight into the oven dish, then toss through the sauce. Use your fork or tongs for this – you want to make sure every piece of pasta is well coated.
Garnish and serve. Once the pasta is mixed well through the sauce, it’s time to plate up. Transfer the pasta between 4 plates, then scatter over the remaining thyme leaves, basil leaves and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Finish with a good grind of black pepper and a scattering of grated parmesan and dig in.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you can’t find burrata, just use a regular ball of mozzarella mixed with a little cream to make a quick cheat’s burrata, or use Boursin, feta or goat’s cheese. You can use whole tomatoes if you don’t have cherry tomatoes – use the same volume – just chop them into small chunks and continue with the recipe. You could also use tinned tomatoes – use 2 cans of plum or crushed tomatoes. Use dried herbs in place of fresh herbs if you can’t find them or don’t have any. Use any pasta shape here – short varieties like penne or rigatoni would also work well.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Like with most pasta, this recipe is best served right after cooking, but you can reheat it if you like. Keep it in a covered container in the fridge (will keep for up to 5 days), then just reheat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, or on the stovetop over low heat. You’ll need to add a tablespoon or two of water when you reheat it, just to loosen the sauce up again. Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits, so you’ll find it will be quite dry after being stored in the fridge.

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 25
Category: pasta
Method: oven
Cuisine: italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl