Burst Grape Tomatoes with Burrata

Tomatoes and Burrata

This plate of burrata and cherry tomatoes is simply perfect! Burst, warmed tomatoes with creamy burrata cheese with a bit of olive oil and fresh basil. It’s one of the best combinations in the world. 

When visiting my mom this Spring, she made a burst tomato and mozzarella appetizer for us and I couldn’t stop going back for more. It was the perfect bite on top of a cracker or piece of toast. Now that we’re in peak tomato season, I’m planning on making as many plates of this as possible! In my version, I’ve swapped out the cheese for burrata, because it’s my favorite. It’s seasoned with a tiny bit of lemon for acidity and lots of fresh basil on top. Paired with some toasty bread, and it’s a great starter, snack, or side dish. 

The Supplies

Ingredients

To make this burrata and cherry tomatoes dish, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Grape tomatoes
• Olive oil, divided
• Garlic cloves
• Red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and flaky salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon juice and zest
• Chopped fresh basil
• Burrata or stracciatella 

For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Equipment

In order to make this burrata and burst cherry tomatoes, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Baking dish with high sides (I love these Staub casserole dishes)
• Cutting board and knife
• Microplane
• Serving plate

Frequent Recipe Questions

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

• A: This recipe is best enjoyed right after it’s made. 

What if I can’t find burrata?

• If you can’t find burrata, you can substitute with fresh mozzarella. Pre-slice the mozzarella to make it easy to take a piece and add it onto the slice of bread.

Can I substitute for another kind of tomato?

• Absolutely! Most other small varieties of tomatoes will work great in this recipe, such as cherry tomatoes or sun golds. Just keep an eye on them, as the different sizes my bake at different rates. 

Recipe Tips

When you make this burst tomato and burrata, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out delicious:

• I love this recipe for summer when tomatoes and basil are at their peak. The fresher produce will elevate this kind of dish to the next level!
• If most of the tomatoes have burst, but there are one or two left, you can help them along yourself. Very carefully (because they’re molten hot balloons of tomato juice), use a fork to smash the last few manually. 

Recipe Details

Bake the Cherry Tomatoes

To get this recipe started, preheat your oven to 400°F and get out a medium sized casserole dish. In the casserole dish, add the cherry tomatoes and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic cloves with olive oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the tomatoes in the olive oil and seasonings.

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the tomatoes for about 25 minutes, stirring the tomatoes about half way through to encourage even baking. Take the casserole dish out of the oven and add the lemon zest and juice over the tomatoes. Toss to combine everything and then discard the garlic cloves. 

Assemble the Tomato and Burrata Salad

To assemble this salad, place the ball of burrata or a couple spoonfuls of stracciatella on the center of a plate. Break the ball of burrata open, to expose the stracciatella on the inside. Spoon the roasted tomatoes over the top and around the edges of the burrata. Garnish the entire dish with chopped, fresh basil, an extra drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy right away with a piece of crusty bread!

Are you feeling ambitious? You can make your own stracciatella at home. It’s easier than you’d expect and only takes a few minutes to prepare and a few hours to rest. Check out the recipe here:

Homemade Stracciatella Cheese

If you make this burrata and cherry tomatoes dish, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating – I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!

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Burst Grape Tomatoes with Burrata

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Baked Cuisine: Italian Courses: Appetizer, Snacks

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 35 mins

Cooking Temp: 400  F Servings: 4

Best Season: Summer

Dietary:

G Gluten Free N Nut Free V Vegetarian

Description

Burst grape tomatoes with creamy burrata cheese makes for a simple, yet incredibly tasty dish. Paired with crusty bread for a delicious dish!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 pound grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoons black pepper, plus more for garnish
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Flaky salt, to tast
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 8 ounces burrata or stracciatella, drained

Instructions

Bake the Grape Tomatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set out a medium sized baking dish.

2. Add the cherry tomatoes and whole garlic cloves to the baking dish. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic cloves with olive oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the tomatoes in the olive oil and seasonings.

3. Bake the tomatoes for 24-26 minutes, stirring half way through baking.

4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and add the lemon zest and juice to the tomatoes. Toss to combine, discarding the garlic cloves. 

Assemble the Salad

1. Place one or two balls of burrata, or a couple spoonfuls of stracciatella on the center of a plate. Break the ball of burrata open. Spoon the roasted tomatoes over the top and around the edges of the burrata.

2. Garnish with chopped, fresh basil, an extra drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy with a piece of crusty bread!