What is burrata and where can I buy it?
Burrata is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that is a ball of solid mozzarella that is filled with stracciatella, which just shreds of mozzarella mixed with cream. It’s delicious on anything and everything and it is not an obscure, hard to find ingredient. You can find it at pretty much any supermarket in the cheese section. It comes in a plastic tub and you get two balls per tub. Make sure you buy it fresh, it has a short shelf life and will taste sour if it is past its use by date.
How to use burrata on pasta
If you are thinking about eating this ball of deliciousness in the purest possible way, pasta is the way to go! All you need to do is tear the balls apart with your fingers and let the soft creamy middle cascade down the sides of the ball. Super simple and it will melt into the sauce nicely. Personally, I like burrata to just be a topper on pasta. I like the cream to stay thick and not mix in to the pasta sauce.
This recipe gives the option of mixing the burrata through the sauce which will change the consistency of the sauce and make it quite a bit thinner. It will be delicious either way so take your pick!
Main Ingredients
- Pasta – I mean this creamy tomato pasta sauce would suit any shape pasta but I used a long shaped pasta called tagliatelle, which a classic shape. Anything will work perfectly! Go for a rigatoni or another short, sturdy pasta shape. Check out my guide for any pasta shape you could dream of.
- Cherry tomatoes – I love cooking tomatoes in the oven and getting them charred and sweet. Leave them out if you prefer, the sauce will be just as delicious. It does add lovely texture though!
- Canned tomatoes – I used crushed but use any kind, it gets blitzed anyway.
- Heavy Cream – I use single cream usually (I guess might be called light cream) but use whatever cream you like best, it will just change the thickness slightly.
- Fresh Basil – This really adds the perfect fresh zingy touch. Fresh herbs are always key in my opinion.
- Burrata – This is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that is one of the greatest things on the planet. They come in a plastic tub and you get two small balls per tub generally. The outside is mozzarella with a creamy mozzarella center that is magical. It adds a perfect creamy touch to this simple tomato sauce.
Expert tips for the best tomato sauce!
- Undercook your pasta! This tomato pasta is cooked together with the pasta for that magical emulsification. I pour my cooked pasta into the sauce, then let it bubble away for a couple of minutes which is why I undercook it from the package instructions.
- Forget what you have been told about salting water! Salt your pasta water WELL. Most of the rules about trying to cut down on sodium go out the window for me as I love flavour and can’t stand anything bland. Get that water seasoned, personally I put about a tbsp of table salt for every 100 grams of dry pasta (per person).
- Have a cracking soundtrack. I really do think this is an important tip. I love to have some Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding or Ray Charles playing, it makes the whole experience so much more fun!
Finishing with crispy garlic cloves
To be honest, this is completely optional but I think it makes it feel and look really special. When you are taking the time to make something from scratch, some extra details can be nice. If you don’t feel like doing it you could just add a couple of single garlic cloves into the olive oil sauce when you add the tomatoes for some flavour but take them out before serving. You could finish with roasted pine nuts, Check my other recipes for similar method.
Why tomato and cream go so well together!
There are all sorts of pasta recipes on my website but I have a lot of creamy tomato sauces because they are just such a crowd pleaser! The most delicious secret weapon combination.
Tomato sauces can be a bit acidic but by adding cream it becomes so velvety and rich. You only need a small amount and I guarantee it will be a new staple in your dinner repertoire.
Once you’ve mastered this creamy tomato and burrata combination, you might want to explore a slightly different shape with a similar sauce, like my Mafaldine Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce. The ruffles of the mafaldine pasta are excellent at catching the creamy sauce..
How to perfectly cook pasta
Did you know you shouldn’t really follow packet instructions? If you are just eating pasta naked (should have reworded that) or with pesto or any other sauce that pasta isn’t being finished off in, then yes, cook it according to packet instructions.
However, cooking pasta IN the sauce is the absolute best way to cook any type of pasta. If I am cooking a dried pasta and the instructions say 10 minutes, I’ll cook for 8 then finish off in the sauce for two minutes on a gentle heat. It soaks up all that flavour and I really stand by this cooking method.
It’s why I add a liquid to pretty much all my sauces so there is still enough moisture after the pasta has soaked some up.
Recipe FAQs
Could I make this without the roasting of the tomatoes at the start?
Absolutely! Roasting or smoking on the BBQ adds an extra flavor layer but they don’t absolutely need to be done.
What kind of Burrata should I buy?
Burrata should come in a plastic tub with a liquid in it. I know you can get Assoluti burrata and it is a good reliable option.
Could I use regular basil instead of lemon basil?
For sure! Use the same amount and you could add the zest of one lemon to the sauce to zing it up.
I have accidentally overcooked my pasta!
Don’t worry if your pasta is a little overcooked or anything, pasta cooking is a skill that could take some time to perfect, the sauce will be delicious regardless.
Can I store the leftovers?
This is tricky with any pasta sauce! It’s difficult to re-heat and never tastes quite as good. If you want to keep it in the fridge, store in an airtight container.
Want some other delicious pasta recipes to try?
If you loved this creamy tomato pasta definitely bookmark my creamy roast tomato pasta which is a classic at my house. If you want something equally delicious but not with a tomato base then try my cacio e pepe or perfect simple nduja pasta.
- Creamy roast tomato pasta
- Cacio e pepe
- Perfect simple nduja pasta
Recipe
Creamy Tomato Burrata Pasta
Ingredients
For the crispy garlic
- 1 head of garlic separated into cloves and skins removed
- 1 ½ cups olive oil
For the sauce
- 200 g dried pasta or 300g fresh pasta
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g can tomatoes (I prefer whole or chopped canned tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp cream
- Salt to taste
- 10 g fresh basil
To serve
- 1 ball of burrat (some balls are quite small so you could use two balls of burrata if you prefer)
- The crispy garlic
- Extra basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese
Optional
- A drizzle of homemade pesto adds a lovely fresh touch
Instructions
For the crispy garlic
- This is an optional extra so skip if you don't want to make it.
- Place your garlic and olive oil in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
- Keep cooking gently, with a very slight sizzle for 30 – 40 minutes until they are golden, browned in parts and soft. This timing is quite variable, check them after 20 minutes. This will depend on your cloves, I like them nicely browned. Keep an eye on them as you don't want them to burn!
- Remove and drain on a paper towel.
For the pasta
- Heat oven to 180°C degrees.
- Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven dish with the olive oil, toss and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 15 – 20 mins until starting to char. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water. NEVER under season your pasta water, it's an extra ingredient! I undercook it by a couple of minutes from package instructions so it can bubble away in the sauce for a couple of minutes and still be al dente.
- While it's cooking make the sauce.
- Put the tinned tomatoes in a food processor and blitz, alternatively use a stick blender in the tin! Or just leave it chunky, doesn't bother me!
- Heat the tin tomatoes in a saucepan over medium heat for five minutes. You want to gently bubble the tomatoes to cook off some of the acidity.
- Add the cream and ½ teaspoon salt and mix and cook for a couple more minutes. Add a shake of chilli flakes or black pepper if you wish.
- Drop your cooked pasta into the sauce and add your cooked cherry tomatoes in as well. Let it gently bubble for a minute or two on a medium-low heat.
- Add your chopped basil at the last minute then serve into warmed bowls.
- Top the finished dish with the torn burrata, extra basil leaves, parmesan cheese and the crispy garlic cloves if you made them.
Notes
- You don’t want the bubbly boil in the sauce too hard a boil, just a gentle bubble. Don’t have it on the heat for too long, if it bubbles away for too long it could overcook your pasta and all the fresh zingy flavor from the fresh basil will get lost. I do a minute at the most.
- To prepare the burrata, simply pull it open right before serving with your fingers and tear the sides down so the creamy insides will cascade down the sides. Doing it with your hands is the easiest way. Don’t do it ahead of cooking as you want the middle to stay nice and cold. One ball should be perfect for two people but if they are particularly small you might like two.
- Right before layering up the dish I like to give the sauce and pasta a really good toss together over the heat so it’s all well mixed then spoon out into pasta bowls straight away.
