520 kcal 22g protein 35 min Low-CalorieHigh-ProteinQuick

Burrata with Slow-Simmered Tomato Sauce

A rustic Italian pasta crowned with creamy burrata and sweet cherry tomatoes

There’s something deeply satisfying about a pasta that lets exceptional ingredients speak for themselves. In this preparation, San Marzano tomatoes break down into a thick, jammy sauce while garlic slices perfume the oil with their golden essence. The star arrives at the table: a fresh burrata that splits open to release its stracciatella center, pooling into the hot pasta like liquid silk. We simmer the sauce until it reaches the consistency of a loose ragù—chunky, concentrated, and clinging to every strand. Fresh cherry tomatoes folded in at the end provide bursts of acidity and sweetness that cut through the richness. This is the kind of dish that converts dinner guests into devoted fans with a single bite.

Ingredients

Serves 2

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can (400g) whole San Marzano tomatoes
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly torn
120g dry spaghetti
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1 ball (125g) fresh burrata
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Warm the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and watch carefully as it transitions from translucent to pale gold—this happens fast, usually 45 seconds to 1 minute. The moment it releases that sweet, toasty aroma, pour in the whole tomatoes along with their liquid. Stand back slightly as the mixture hisses and bubbles aggressively.
Mash the tomatoes directly in the pan using a potato masher, breaking them into irregular chunks about the size of a quarter. Stir in the kosher salt and half the basil. Bring to a vigorous simmer, then partially cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Maintain this active bubbling for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce reduces and deepens in color.
While the sauce reduces, bring a generously salted pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, pulling it from the water 1 minute before the package suggests for perfectly toothsome results. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Fold the drained pasta into the tomato sauce, adding splashes of reserved pasta water to create a cohesive, glossy coating. Remove from heat and fold in the cherry tomatoes and remaining basil.
Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with a generous shower of Parmesan. Nestle the burrata in the center and finish with cracked pepper. Instruct each diner to tear the burrata tableside, letting the creamy center blend into the warm pasta.