Summer Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Herbs and Burrata
From Melissa Clark’s “Dinner: Changing the Game” (Crown Publishing, 2017) comes this quick summer pasta combining warm cherry tomatoes with fresh herbs, green onions and creamy burrata for a simple, nourishing summer evening meal. Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 pound pasta (fusilli or similar)
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1⁄4 teaspoon chile flakes Pinch of salt 1 quart cherry tomatoes, halved 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized chunks
3 cups torn herbs, such as basil, mint and parsley
6 green onions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted, boiling water. Stop cooking when it is 2 minutes short of being finished, as it will finish cooking with the tomatoes. Drain and reserve 1⁄2 cup of cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil along with garlic, chile flakes and a pinch of salt and cook 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook 5 to 8 minutes, until they begin to burst and shrivel at their borders.
Add pasta to skillet. If it looks dry, add a little reserved pasta cooking water. Increase heat a bit so pasta can finish cooking in the sauce. When pasta is cooked, add butter and Parmesan and toss until everything is coated.
Serve pasta warm and garnish with chunks of burrata and a handful of herbs and green onions. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.