Caprese Pasta Salad with Burrata Cheese

Have you ever had Burrata cheese?  I think this cheese is made by the Gods.  I’m not sure why I haven’t discovered this decadent creation until recently.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusually soft texture.  It’s like cutting into a molten chocolate cake.  The creamy center spills out slowly and luxuriously, tempting your taste buds with the promise of pure decadence.

Since the cheese is best cold or room temperature I decided to add it to a pasta salad.  With summer around the corner, my basil plant is thriving in our backyard garden.  Therefore it’s definitely time for some serious tomato basil dishes – probably my favorite savory flavor combination.

If you don’t have loads of basil on hand, buy some prepared pesto from the store and garnish with fresh basil.  This shortcut also makes preparation much easier.  You can also prepare fresh pesto or use this fun recipe for Kale pesto.  Just be sure to add the Burrata - it's heavenly!

Caprese Pasta Salad with Burrata Cheese
Serves 4 as meal and 6 as side dish
Ingredients

• 1 lb. box farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto or homemade
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 8 ounce ball Burrata cheese, chopped roughly
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade

Cooking Directions

1. In a small container combine oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and shake thoroughly. Toss the resulting vinaigrette with the warm pasta. Set aside.
2. Combine tomato, cheese and basil and add to pasta. Toss until combined.
3. Stir in pesto and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sprig of fresh basil.

Wouldn't this salad look beautiful in this bowl?