What’s creamy and full of umami richness, juicy sweetness, easy to make but really impressive, too? This braised tomato recipe! Take fresh cherry tomatoes, and braise them in olive oil that’s perfumed with fresh garlic and fresh basil. Then, pour those sweet, warm blistered tomatoes all over a milky white mound of fresh burrata cheese for an appetizer or light dinner that’s truly show-stopping. Placing a rustic, gorgeous, restaurant-level platter of these braised tomatoes with burrata on the table will make you feel like a complete domestic hero, it’s that good. And even better? Making braised tomatoes is SO easy. Truly! But your guests don’t need to know that. If you need something meatier, but still want to use these braised tomatoes, try our gorgeous Grilled Skirt Steak with Blistered Tomatoes.
What Is Burrata?
Burrata is an Italian fresh cheese usually made from cow’s milk that is basically heaven on earth. It’s milky and creamy and if you love fresh mozzarella, you’re going to be head-over-heels for burrata.
- How is burrata different from mozzarella? Burrata is made from fresh mozzarella curds that are stretched and folded into a little pouch and then—brace yourself—filled with thick cream and some more stringy bits of mozzarella curd so that when you cut it open it absolutely oozes out in the most luscious, irresistible way.
- Where to buy burrata: These days, most grocery stores carry burrata. But for the very best burrata, check your local specialty shops, or if you have a great cheesemonger in your town hit them up! Any place you’d go for truly fabulous cheeses and charcuterie should have burrata. You can also order it online if you really can’t find it in a shop nearby.
- What does burrata go well with? Burrata goes with EVERYTHING. It’s the crowning jewel of our Spinach Pesto Gnocchi, and we love it on pizza or Grilled Flatbread, over salads (try our super colorful Burrata Salad with Summer Berries & Pistachios) or really anything you want. Burrata is decadent and delicious enough to stand on its own as an appetizer with some great bread and olive oil. Or pair it with….
Braised Cherry Tomatoes
When you love a food as dearly as we love burrata, it’s essential to dream up the most perfect partner for it. When we get our hands on a perfect ball of burrata, we feel a particular kind of anxiety—like we’ve got to come up with a way to serve burrata that honors its marvelousness, or ELSE. Thus, these silky, umami-rich braised cherry tomatoes were born. Fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella come together to make a classic Caprese Salad, and so we took the idea of that ideal partnership and applied it to burrata and braised tomatoes!
How to Make Braised Tomatoes + Burrata
- Buy really good burrata cheese.
- Warm the olive oil, tomatoes, basil and garlic in a big skillet.
- Cover, and braise the tomatoes for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will soften and some will burst, and the juices will get so so sweet. That’s a great thing!
- Put the skillet under your broiler just long enough to give the tomatoes a bit of char.
- Pour the braised cherry tomatoes over the burrata and serve with lots of good bread.
More Beautiful Fresh Tomato Recipes For Summer
Summer Appetizers Are The Best Appetizers of All
When produce is perfect and fresh cheese are at their peak, delicious meals like this come together with such ease. It’s the very best time of year to be a home cook and food lover, don’t you think? Try this braised tomatoes and burrata recipe, and let us know how you like it, OK? more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper, and we’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below. Happy cooking!
