This Burrata Appetizer takes 5 minutes to prep and will make you the star of any party! Served with roasted cherry tomatoes and a delicious seasoned olive oil drizzled on top, grab your homemade crostini and dig in!
This Burrata Appetizer with roasted cherry tomatoes will literally have you licking your fingers! If you’ve never tried burrata before, rush to the store and grab some right away, because you're in for a treat! It's a delicious Italian cheese that's similar to fresh mozzarella but has a creamy oozing center that makes the perfect appetizer. In Italy, burrata is popular as an appetizer or part of a caprese salad, on pizza, and I especially love using it to make burrata pasta...yum!
This burrata recipe takes 5 minutes of prep and if you serve it at a dinner party or gathering, you’ll be the star of the event! What makes the dish even better is the special dressing that's drizzled on top…it comes from the roasted cherry tomatoes that are seasoned with olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes. The oil left in the bottom is crazy delicious and pairs so well with the creamy burrata cheese.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Quick & Easy: 5 minutes of prep and easy steps for the ultimate last minute appetizer
- Crowd Favorite: Visually beautiful and a flavor combination that's hard to resist. Great for sharing, dinners or over the holidays...everyone will love it!
- Creamy Heaven: Rich creamy burrata pairs perfectly with the roasted cherry tomatoes and crunchy crostini
What is Burrata?
Burrata is an Italian cheese made from cow's milk, orginating from the Apulia region in Southern Italy. It consists of an outer shell of mozzarella cheese and the inside being stracciatella (mix of shredded mozzarella and cream). As you cut open the burrata you'll have a rich and delicate creamy cheese that has a mild flavor. It pairs well with anything savory like pasta or perfect to add on an Italian pizza too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Burrata cheese is the star today! It has a firmer outer mozzarella shell and super soft creamy inside which we all love. I recommend buying it from your local Italian deli as you will taste the difference in the quality. You could swap with fresh mozzarella however you won’t have that same creamy texture or alternatively buy stracciatella cheese which is the creamy inside part only
- Cherry tomatoes that are ripe will give the best results for a burst of sweetness. Grape tomatoes or even plum tomatoes will work
- Extra virgin olive oil is the base of the dressing that marinates the tomatoes and then drizzled over the burrata cheese just before serving
- Oregano is the main herb in the marinade and provides that classic Italian flavor. You can swap with Italian seasoning or dried basil too
- Red pepper flakes provide that little kick which cuts through the sweetness and brightness of the tomatoes and creaminess of the burrata
- Basil leaves are the perfect fresh herbs as garnish for some freshness and pop of color
How to make Burrata with Roasted Tomatoes
When I think about a flavor packed appetizer that everyone will love, this burrata recipe is hard to beat! Here are my simple steps to make it:
Step 1: Gently place the burrata on a plate for ~30 mins to come to room temperature. Continue with next steps
Step 2: Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃). In a medium oven dish, add the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season and mix
Step 3: Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Tomatoes should have blistered and softened. Remove tomatoes from the oven dish and allow them to slightly cool
Step 4: Arrange the tomatoes in a circle on a deep serving dish or plate, leaving space in the middle for the burrata. Pour the olive oil left in the oven dish to a small ramekin
Step 5: Place the burrata in the center, drizzle with the reserved olive oil and garnish with basil leaves
Step 6: To serve, cut open the burrata, drizzle with some more oil and dip with your favourite bread and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Always allow the burrata cheese to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving and never straight from the fridge. This will give you the delicious creamy consistency in the middle that its known for
- Use ripe cherry tomatoes that are juicy and hopefully in season when you make this appetizer for the best flavor
- The exact roasting time will depend on the size of your cherry tomatoes so keep an eye on them, you want them to be soft and about to burst
- Save every drop of the olive oil left in the baking dish! This is drizzled on top of the burrata for that finger licking garnish
Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers of the roasted cherry tomatoes that weren’t mixed with the burrata in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Since the burrata cheese was brought to room temperature and then served on warm tomatoes, its best to enjoy it the same day and not keep any leftovers - to be honest I don't think there will be any anyways 😉
- Reheat the tomatoes in the oven, on the stove top or microwave or even enjoy them cold with fresh cheese or use them to make a simple cherry tomato pasta
Serving Suggestions
You can't serve this burrata appetizer without some crostini, focaccia or some crusty Italian bread to scoop it all up. You'll be the star of the party! For an inspired menu idea, pair it before a delicious pesto pasta or shrimp pasta. You can also serve before a main such as these cauliflower steaks or honey garlic salmon...yummmm, the list goes on!
FAQs
It's best plated whole with either roasted or marinated fresh or heirloom tomatoes with a good drizzle of olive oil, basil oil or even pesto. Cut it open when ready to serve with the oozing center, perfect to scoop with crusty bread
So many things! Either make a simple appetizer, serve on a pizza when it comes out of the oven, or even on pasta. You can also make a burrata salad with fruits like peach or nectarines and even add it to a sandwich, yum!
Burrata has a creamy consistency and milky flavor which is mild and can therefore be served with many different things. The outside is slightly firmer as it's very similar to fresh mozzarella with the stracciatella in the center oozing with cream
More Italian Appetizers
More Burrata Recipes
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I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Burrata with Roasted Tomatoes (The BEST Appetizer)
Video
Ingredients
- 9oz / 250g fresh burrata cheese
- 13oz / 370g cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Garnish with a small handful fresh basil leaves
- Serve with crostini or fresh focaccia bread
Instructions
- Carefully take the burrata out of the packaging as it can pop open, and leave on a plate for ~30 minutes to come to room temperature while you prep the rest
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃. In a medium baking dish, add the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with a good pinch of salt and dash of pepper and stir together
- Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until you see the tomatoes have blistered and softened then remove the dish from the oven and allow them to slightly cool
- Arrange the roasted tomatoes in a circle in a deep serving dish or plate, leaving the center empty for the burrata. Pour the olive oil left in the baking dish in a small ramekin
- Carefully place the burrata cheese in the center of the plate and drizzle with some of the reserved seasoned olive oil and garnish with basil leavesServe with homemade crostini or sliced focaccia on the side along with the remaining olive oil. Cut into the burrata cheese and allow it to ooze out, drizzle the inside with more of the oil and go for a dip and enjoy!
Notes
- Burrata cheese - buy the best quality you can find, it will make a difference! Letting the cheese come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving will give you that creamy consistency that we all love
- Cherry tomatoes - use ripe tomatoes that are juicy for the best flavor. The roasting time will depend on the size of your tomatoes so keep an eye on them, you want them to be soft and about to burst
- Olive oil dressing - reserve every drop of oil from the oven dish after roasting the tomatoes and drizzle on the burrata just before serving. Finger licking good!!!
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