Pasta with Burrata, Green Pesto & Cherry Tomatoes 🇮🇹

  

Italian Burrata cheese, a delicate ball of mozzarella filled with 'stracciatella' or stretched curd mixed with cream, is the star of this pasta dish, with sweet cherry tomatoes and homemade green pesto as supporting cast.  The colours of the Italian flag.  You can find imported and locally made Burrata in some Perth supermarkets and specialty stores.  It's expensive but wickedly delicious.  Sit the Burrata on top of the pasta, season with salt and pepper to taste, then anoint it with some good quality olive oil.  As you cut into the pillowy mass, the creamy inside oozes out like the yolk of a perfectly poached egg.   For the green pesto, I have several recipes for your consideration: celery leaves pesto, rocket pesto, parsley pesto.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 120g / 4¼oz spaghetti or linguine
• 125g / 4½oz Burrata cheese
• 150g / 5¼oz cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 4-5 tablespoons green pesto
• a few fresh basil leaves, for garnishing

METHOD

1. Take the Burrato cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes being using and let it come down to room temperature.  Drain off liquid.
2. In a bowl, mix cherry tomatoes with 1 teaspoon olive oil and dried oregano.  Season with salt the pepper to taste.  Place tomatoes in a medium frying pan and cook over medium-high heat undisturbed, until they start to blister and burst, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add a splash of balsamic vinegar. 
3. In a medium saucepan, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dante.  Drain and reserve a little of the pasta water.  Return pasta to the saucepan.  Stir in green pesto and 1 tablespoon of pasta water.
4. Transfer pasta to a serving plate.  Arrange cherry tomatoes on top, leaving a space in the middle for the Burrato.  Season the Burrato with salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil.  Garnish with basil leaves.