Burrata With Roasted Tomatoes

Served with toasted bread and garlic-infused olive oil, burrata with roasted tomatoes is a simple sharable appetizer that makes the most of tomato season.

The exact memory escapes me, but I think the first time I had burrata was in a restaurant.

I have foggy visions of some sort of farm-to-table eatery. We started the meal with a lovely seasonal salad with the magical ooze that is burrata.

There is something about certain fresh cheeses like this one that used to seem so exotic to me, but now I see containers of it in the cheese section at the grocery taking up space next to the fresh mozzarella.

So it certainly has gone beyond the walls of restaurants making appearances at home.

What Is Burrata?

For the uninitiated, burrata is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that is basically a combination of mozzarella and cream. It’s one of those types of cheeses that you serve fresh.

You can think of it like a pouch. The outside is a thin wall of solid cheese, and the inside is where the cream is combined with the mozzarella.

The top of the pouch is secured with a neat little knot.

When you cut into burrata, the creamy inside will slowly come out. The flavor is rich and milky. It’s practically begging to be spooned onto crusty bread or have bread dunked into it to sop up all that goodness.

How To Serve Burrata

I like to pair burrata with whatever vegetable is in season along with olive oil, flaky salt and fresh ground black pepper.

The moment the weather starts heating up in late spring I feel like I have permission to start going all in on my tomato consumption.

And combining burrata with roasted tomatoes is probably my favorite way to devour it.

The acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes is perfect with this creamy, soft cheese.

The Ingredients

This is what you need for this burrata recipe:

• Burrata: This incredibly subtle, milky cheese looks like mozzarella with a knot on top. The difference is the addition of cream, so it is very spreadable or spoonable on bread.
• Tomatoes: I like using a mix of grape and cherry tomatoes in all sorts of colors. The important thing is that the tomatoes are small.
• Garlic: Keep the garlic cloves in their papery skins. Once they’re roasted, it is very easy to push out the garlic.
• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice. People like to give me fancy oils, so I pull out one of those artisan bottles for this recipe. 
• White Wine Vinegar: Adding a touch of vinegar gives a slight tartness to the tomatoes. 
• Baguette: I slice and toast an entire baguette. Any extra toasted bread can be used in a panzanella salad. 

How To Make Burrata With Roasted Tomatoes

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Then whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, stirring them around, so they’re coated in the mixture.

Next, arrange the tomatoes cut side up with the garlic cloves on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. 

The tomatoes roast for about a half hour. When they are ready, they will be wrinkled at the edges and juicy in the middle.

While the tomatoes are roasting, drizzle the sliced bread with olive oil on a separate sheet pan and toast it on another rack in the oven.

Once the tomatoes are finished, carefully squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl. Use a fork to mash it around and whisk in olive oil.

This is the roasted garlic oil that you will pour over the cheese and tomatoes once you have it all plated.

Serving The Burrata

When you serve the burrata, you can leave it whole, surrounding it with lots of roasted tomatoes. This gives you the chance to slice the burrata at the table for a little drama.

The other option is to tear the cheese and scatter it amongst the roasted tomatoes on the plate. This way the cheese will mix more with the oil and tomatoes.

No matter how you present it, finish the burrata and tomatoes with basil leaves, flaky sea salt and black pepper.

You can also add greens and turn it into a burrata salad with greens and another splash of vinegar.

More Cheese Appetizers & Snacks

Baked Feta with Roasted Olives & Tomatoes
Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Balls
Rosemary Gouda Straws
Caprese Avocado Toast
Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip

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