Burrata Caprese With Roasted Tomatoes

Put a cherry (tomato) on top.

This burrata caprese recipe takes caprese salad to an even more delicious level: creamy burrata woven with roasted vine-ripe tomatoes, then drizzled with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s a simple recipe with gourmet vibes. Here’s how to make it. 

What Is Burrata Caprese? Meet This Recipe.

What is burrata caprese? Burrata caprese is like a regular caprese salad, but made with creamy, indulgent burrata cheese instead of fresh mozzarella, for something a little more elevated. It’s an unexpected twist on the usual tomato caprese.

The way I see it, we deserve something a little indulgent, a little special, and a lot unfussy. In other words, we deserve burrata caprese salad made with sweet, roasted on-the-vine cherry tomatoes.

Officially, tomato season is in summer. Luckily, these days most grocery stores carry several types of good-quality tomatoes all year long. While raw tomatoes with fresh burrata would work fine here, roasting the tomatoes really makes it something really special–and a little more dramatic. It also enhances the flavor of out-of-season tomatoes.

Roasting tomatoes concentrates the sweet flavor of the tomatoes, and softens them to a jammy texture that perfectly complements the cool, creamy burrata.

Why Use Burrata for Caprese Salad?

Making a tomato caprese salad with burrata instead of fresh mozzarella offers a similar flavor profile to mozzarella, but with more richness and creamier texture. It’s like driving around in a Ferrari instead of  Fiat: Both Italian vehicles will get you where you want to go, but one has a lot more oomph.

If you like this burrata recipe, you should also check out this Peach and Burrata Salad recipe and Melted Grape Tomato Bruschetta. You may also enjoy Fried Crispy Chickpeas and Classic Italian Meatballs for more good snacking and Italian food.

What Is Burrata, Anyway?

Burrata is a cow’s milk cheese made with small shreds of fresh mozzarella that have been folded with cream. This mixture is called stracciatella. The stracciatella is then encased in an envelope of fresh mozzarella. It’s like a cheesy, creamy, delicate water balloon.

Burrata Cheese’s Origins

Burrata originates in Puglia, in southern Italy. You wouldn’t necessarily expect something this luxurious to have originated as a practical way to minimize food waste, but that’s exactly where burrata came from, in the 1920s. You may still see some burrata packaged with a leaf. This is part of the old tradition of covering the finished burrata to shield it from the hot Italian sun.

Be sure to check out this roundup of Seasonal Roasted Vegetable Recipes. For more simple roasted vegetable recipes, get the recipes for Roasted Brussels With Maple, Roasted Acorn Squash and comforting baked Cauliflower Gratin.

What Does Burrata Cheese Taste Like?

Burrata cheese tastes mild and fresh, usually with slight notes of tang and salt similar to a fresh mozzarella. Burrata also benefits from the addition of cream, which adds richness to the overall flavor and texture.

How to Make This Burrata Caprese Recipe

For this recipe, you will only need a few ingredients. Luckily, roasting the tomatoes means that even out-of-season tomatoes will taste fantastic, making this a wonderful dish to make all year long. I make it all the time.

Roasting the vine tomatoes with olive oil turns them sweet and jammy. Paired with creamy burrata and topped with good olive oil and a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt, this dish goes from pleasant caprese to next-level fabulous.

Ingredients

Here’s the “grocery list” of what ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Fresh, good quality burrata
• On-the-vine cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil leaves

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. First, roast the tomatoes until they are jammy and pull easily off the vine.
2. Use a spatula to place the tomatoes in clusters on a serving platter.
3. Nestle the burrata amid the tomatoes, and slice open to let some of the inner goodness ooze out.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Serve.

Variations, Substitutions and Helpful Tips

Feel free to adapt this burrata caprese salad a bit. If you can’t find burrata, use fresh mozzarella. If you can’t find on-the-vine grape tomatoes, use regular grape tomatoes instead. You could even substitute some of the tomatoes for ripe peach slices, sliced strawberries, or cantaloupe.

Before pulling the tomatoes out of the oven, test one. Try pulling one off of the vine. If the tomato does not immediately give, roast them for another few minutes. They should fall off the vine. To transfer to the serving plate, I recommend a flat spatula, and not lifting the vine with tongs. This makes sure they stay on the vine for plating purposes.

Burrata Caprese Serving Tips and Suggestions

• Slicing Burrata: When you plate the burrata caprese salad, use a sharp knife or serrated knife to halve or quarter the burrata cheese, letting the inside ooze out a bit before drizzling the top with olive oil and balsamic.
• What to Serve With Burrata Caprese: Serve this salad on its own, or with crusty slices of Italian bread. Some prosciutto di Parma would also be a nice addition.

Love this tomato-lovin’ Italian appetizer? You’ll also love these great recipes.

• Italian Artichoke Spread
• Southern Tomato Sandwiches
• Peach and Balsamic Salad

Burrata Caprese With Roasted Vine Tomatoes

Author: Lisa Ruland

This burrata caprese salad recipe can be made easily, and offers a more luxurious take on "regular" tomato caprese. Roast grape tomatoes until jammy, then plate with creamy, sliced burrata. To finish, drizzle with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Enjoy the raves.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 197kcal

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound cherry tomatoes on the vine, in several clusters
• ▢ 8 ounces fresh burrata
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to garnish
• ▢ 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar, optional
• ▢ Generous pinch flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon
• ▢ 12 turns freshly-cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• Place the clusters of tomatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Roast on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are nicely roasted and a tomato easily pulls off of the vine. If the sample tomato does not come off the vine right away, put the tomatoes back in the oven for an additional five to 10 minutes.
• Use a flat spatula to transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter. Arrange the tomatoes, then surround them with large pieces of burrata.

  Drizzle all over with olive oil, aged balsamic, and garnish to taste with flaky sea salt, fresh pepper, and sliced basil (if using). Serve warm or at room temperature.

  PRO TIP: I don't usually slice the burrata until it is on the serving plate, since it will ooze. Use a sharp paring knife or serrated knife.

Notes

Recipe Notes and Tips:

Substitutions

Feel free to adapt this burrata caprese salad a bit. If you can't find burrata, use fresh mozzarella. If you can't find on-the-vine grape tomatoes, use regular grape tomatoes instead. You could even substitute some of the tomatoes for ripe peach slices, sliced strawberries, or cantaloupe.

Serving Tips and Suggestions

Slicing Burrata: When you plate the burrata caprese salad, use a sharp knife or serrated knife to halve or quarter the burrata cheese, letting the inside ooze out a bit before drizzling the top with olive oil and balsamic.

What to Serve With Burrata Caprese: Serve this salad on its own, or with crusty slices of Italian bread. Some prosciutto di Parma would also be a nice addition. 

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1031IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.