fusilli pasta with cherry tomatoes, mint, and burrata

I am so glad that I made this pasta for my family! It’s a recipe from Melissa Clark’s cookbook, Dinner: Changing the Game. It was absolutely delicious! I loved the combination of the juicy tomatoes, fragrant basil, and creamy burrata. The melted Parmigiano-Reggiano and the garlic also added a lot of flavor to the pasta. I don’t think I’d ever had fusilli before this, but I’m glad that I finally tried it. The melted cheese covered each crevice, which made the fusilli burst with flavor. The dish came together very quickly, and it’s definitely doable for cooks of all levels. This is a new go-to recipe of mine!

I’ve been trying to cook more lately, and I’ve loved trying new recipes by some of my favorite chefs. I’d like to keep working through the Dinner cookbook. I’m glad that you’re on this cooking adventure with me :) Let me know if you have any recipe recommendations for a pescatarian. Who knows, maybe it will be my next blog post!

Fusilli Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Mint, and Burrata

Recipe by Melissa Clark (Dinner cookbook)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

Koser salt, as needed

1 pound fusilli

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/4 tsp. red chile flakes

Fine sea salt to taste

1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , grated (1 cup)

8 oz. Burrata or buffalo mozzarella, torn into bite-sized chunks, for serving

3 cups fresh mint leaves (or use a combo of basil and mint), torn

6 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

Flaky sea salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook until it is 2 minutes shy of al dente (it should be slightly underdone to your taste because you’ll finish cooking it with the tomatoes). Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium- high heat. Add the olive oil. Stir in the garlic, chili flakes, and a large pinch of fine sea salt. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges, and shrivel slightly, 5-8 minutes.

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss it with the tomatoes. If the mixture looks dry, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time. Raise the heat to high and cook until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Add the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss until they melt and coat everything.

Divide the pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish each portion with chunks of Burrata, and top with a generous mound of fresh mint and scallions. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and lots of black pepper.

My notes

The recipe says to smash the garlic, but I chopped it to make the pieces smaller. If you have any left overs, pop it in the fridge. When serving, heat it up, drizzle some olive, and grate some fresh cheese to top.

I served my pasta in the pan, which worked well. Just set aside some burrata and herbs for if people want to add more to their bowl.