This weekend the farmers market had the most gorgeous deep ripe tomatoes that I couldn’t resist. Tomatoes this time of year are good on anything, toast with a little goat cheese, just sliced with olive oil and crunchy sea salt, or my personal favorite with burrata and pasta.
I’ve been making a version of this pasta for years, but this version is definitely my favorite. Using the best ingredients at the peak of the season make this simple dish exceptional! The burrata starts to melt into the tomatoes and olive oil to create the most delicious sauce. The best part, it’s super simple and quick, perfect for hot summer days when you want to spend as little time in the hot kitchen as possible.
Summer Burrata Pasta:
12 ounces pasta
8 medium tomatoes or 5 large tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn
3 tablespoons olive oil + more for finishing
Flaky sea salt
Pepper for finishing
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes + more to taste (optional)
4 x 4 ounce balls of burrata cheese
Method:
Cook pasta according to instructions to al dente. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the starchy cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, dice the tomatoes. Mince the garlic. Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the diced tomatoes and salt liberally. Stir and let cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and stir. Add starchy pasta water a bit at a time if needed (if your tomatoes are juicy, you probably won’t need the starchy pasta water).
Divide the pasta and tomatoes into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a burrata ball, fresh cracked pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, and an extra sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Enjoy!
Serves 4
Note – this has a lot of burrata, feel free to cut down the amount on each serving if desired. But really, who wants less cheese…?
