Quick sun-dried tomato pesto + burrata pasta x Garofalo

This quick sun-dried tomato pesto, topped with burrata is the one pasta dish you’re going to need this summer.

I’m currently in Puglia, Italy. Actually, Salento to be more precise. Salento is the most southern region of Puglia, benefitting from both the Ionic and Adriatic coastline. I’m obsessed with all the food here. It’s at the heart of all my recipes. All the best recipes are EASY and ACCESSIBLE; no fancy kitchen work involved. It’s also hard to find a dish that lacks flavour. Everything tastes so SEXY. I constantly have a smile spread across my face while eating out here. PLUS, most dishes are so good for you and HEALTHY! You’re constantly feeding your body, mind and soul with goodness, helping you feel your best self during the day.

This recipe was actually shared by a friend out here. A super quick sun-dried tomato pesto, whizzed up in seconds and topped with the regions’ favourite cheese, BURRATA. If you don,t know what a burrata is, it is a ball of cheese, with the soft casing of mozzarella but filled with ‘stracciatella’ – cream and mozzarella curd. It’s as naughty as a cheese can be. You can find it in most UK larger sized supermarkets, cheese shops or Italian delis. You can also replace the burrata with mozzarella or ricotta. Being in Puglia there was only one pasta shape I could use for this recipe – Orrechiette. Translated into ‘little ears, it’s a round concave shape, where the sauce beautiful collates in the dip.

GAROFALO

For this recipe, I am using Garofalo pasta, my favourite pasta brand. Made with the best quality semolina flour in heart of Gragnano, better known as the ‘city of pasta’, in the province of Naples, the pasta produced here is of such a high standard that even the European Commission has given it an IGP status (guarantee of origin for foods produced in specific areas; Italy).

Using only the best quality semolina flour, their pasta has a high protein content, which helps retain starch, hold its shape and give that perfect ‘al dente’ texture that we should all be looking for. Secondly, Garofalo pasta is bronze-died, which gives the pasta a rough, porous surface making it perfect for sauces to bind and cling to. So when it comes to enjoying this easy sexy dish, it absolutely up levels your pasta eating experience.

You can buy Garofalo pasta at Amazon Uk, Ocado and independent food shops.

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serves 3 people

• 100g sun-dried tomatoes

• 2 garlic clove, chopped

• 2 anchovies

• 1 tbsp capers

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Dry oregano

• Chilli flakes

• 3 small burrata

• 250g Garofalo orecchiette pasta

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Directions

• First, bring a pan of water to the boil. Season with plenty of salt. Cook pasta as long as instructed on the packet. Garofalo orecchiette take 13 minutes
• In the meantime, in a blender, blitz the sundried tomatoes, 1 chopped garlic, capers and anchovies with a tablespoon of olive oil and a ladle of pasta water. Blitz it for a couple of minutes until it has emulsified and created a creamy consistency
• In a frying pan, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the remaining garlic with a good pinch of oregano and chilli flakes.
• Drain the pasta. Add to the frying pan and toss in the olive oil and aromatics.
• Then pour the sun-dried tomato pesto on top and again toss through until the pasta is well coated
• Serve the pasta in a bowl. Place a burrata on top of each plate. Slice the burrata down the middle and finish with fresh basil.

Tips

1. Make sure the pasta water is well seasoned. The water should be as salty as the sea. It’s also very important that you check the cooking time on the packet and cook as long as instructed to retain an ‘al dente’ texture.
2. Add the pasta water gradually, untill you’re happy with the consistancy. It needs to have a thick creamy texture.
3. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic. I always add the garlic and olive oil to a cold pan and then gently heat it on a low heat. Keep the garlic moving, so it doesnt singe.
4. When draining pasta, always keep a littel back incase you need to loosen up the sauce.
5. No tips
6. Make sure to remove the burrata from the fridge at least 15-30 minutes before serving. It should be enjoyed at room temperature rathe than chilled.