Parmesan makes a good cheesy base in a pasta sauce or grated on top of a fresh bowl of spaghetti, but when you’re looking for something new, it doesn’t quite have that panache. Luckily, we have an upgraded noodle dish that’s as simple as it is delicious: burrata pasta.
In case you couldn’t get enough of burrata pizza or burrata ravioli, this pasta is here to be your new favorite cheesy, carbohydrate-filled plate of goodness.
What is burrata pasta?
There’s no difficult sauce to simmer all day long and no grated heap of fresh Parmesan to whisk until incorporated. Burrata pasta is a simple pasta dish made with cooked tomatoes, burrata cheese, fresh basil and noodles like fusilli, spaghetti, bucatini or fusilli col buco.
Instead of the nutty, sharp flavor of Parmesan cheese, burrata cheese offers this dish a buttery, creamy softness. It makes the dish taste and feel like a comfort food and elegant dinner all at once, so you’ll definitely want to keep this in your recipe rotation.
Burrata Pasta Ingredients
- Fusilli pasta
- Olive oil
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
- Burrata cheese
- Fresh basil
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Cook the fusilli noodles according to the package directions in salted water.
Step 2: Soften the tomatoes
While the noodles cook, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes and stir until just softened, about three to four minutes. Sprinkle in the garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for one minute longer.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the starchy water to really bring out the sauce’s flavors. Add the pasta and pasta water to the softened tomatoes and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the bits of burrata and basil. Garnish the dish with red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat and added flavor.
Burrata Pasta Tips
Can you use any type of pasta in this recipe?
Pretty much! We used fusilli because the spirals help catch the gooey burrata cheese before it slips to the bottom of the bowl, but any curly or grooved noodle will do. When you’re in a pinch and forget to buy special noodles, go ahead and use spaghetti or bucatini.
What kind of meat would go well in burrata pasta?
If you’d like to pack this dish with protein, you can mix and match recipes, and use the base for this recipe with a hearty Italian meat sauce. Ground beef and ground turkey would pair well with the creamy burrata.
What kind of vegetables go well with burrata pasta?
If you want to add fresh produce to this dish, go all in with some greens. Spinach, zucchini, broccoli and kale are fantastic veggies in a burrata pasta dish. Saute the greens with the tomatoes so they soften as well, then combine with the pasta and burrata as normal.
