I discovered real burrata on a trip to Puglia, Italy, its birthplace. A few years back, we had read an article in The New York Times about a food critic who stopped at what was practically a roadside restaurant, and when he ordered the “antipasti,” they brought him out 14 dishes. Well, curious about that and being in the area, we stopped by. The place was empty; the man who came out to greet us seemed to be the owner, a man of few words. After a conversation with my husband (Italian) built mostly from scattered words like “pranzo?”, “sì,” “antipasti?”, “sì,” he simply put a bottle of house wine on the table and started bringing out an endless stream of dishes with the typical appetizers of Puglia. Among them was burrata. It was a real discovery: a fresh cheese like mozzarella, but with a creamy center. Absolutely delicious.
The ingredients used in those appetizers were local, bursting with flavor thanks to that wonderful sun that ripens fruits and vegetables. There are recipes that bring back that experience for me, and to get the most out of them, they need time and the best-quality ingredients. A perfect example is this recipe for burrata with roasted cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic, and basil: it has few ingredients, but its success depends entirely on their quality and how they’re prepared.
Starting with the burrata itself, a delicate, fresh cheese that was traditionally wrapped in asphodel leaves (a local plant) to protect it and also to show visually whether it was still fresh: once the leaves dried out, the burrata was past its best. Today, it’s recommended to eat it within 24-48 hours of being made.
The second star is the cherry tomatoes, which develop a spectacular flavor when slow-roasted and make the perfect companion to the cheese.
Add to that the depth of balsamic vinegar from Modena, aged over years, the floral notes of basil, and the touch of pine nuts and garlic, and you have a dish that seems simple but becomes exceptional when you get the timing, quality, and proportions right.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) top and bottom heat, or 160°C (320°F) fan. Place the cherry tomatoes and garlic on a small baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Roast for about 45 minutes, sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the top, and let them cool (though they’re also delicious warm).
- Blend the basil and lemon zest and juice with a hand blender along with the olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Divide the roasted tomatoes among 4 plates, place a burrata on top of each one, scatter over the pine nuts and the basil oil, add a little extra basil, and finish with a grind of black pepper on top.
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