Burrata Pasta Salad: Make it Yours This Summer

I would have bet my best bottle of red against finding out that there are well over 10 million recipes for burrata salad on google. Ok; I didn’t count them but AI said it did. Do we trust it? Well, maybe for this. Counting is one thing AI does well, I’m thinking. But, actually when you check into it, AI does not, in fact, count well. For grins, let’s just give her a million less or a million more and I’d still be sitting with my eyes stretched wiiiiidely open and my jaw skewed over to the left indicating my surprise. I can’t in my strangest, most massive dreams imagine 10 million of anything. Would I even want 10 million of anything? Yes; you’re right. I’d go for $10 million and so would you. 10 million recipes for a burrata salad? I’ll let you peruse the internet and choose one sometime (many, but not all, are a sort of caprese salad) but, for now, let’s go with mine. Because we can. And because I’ve no doubt you’ll soon make it yours. And anyway, mine is a Burrata Pasta Salad, not just a B-flat burrata salad, right? However you do yours, it will be charming, captivating, and delicious. It will be the sum of summer! Promise. And, here’s the best thing: This is mostly a no-cook meal. What’s better come summer?

Jump to Recipe

What Is Burrata? 

Burrata is a soft, fresh Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. Based on the outer appearance alone, this cheese could easily be mistaken for fresh mozzarella—and that’s because the outer shell is made of soft mozzarella.

But break into it, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find an oozing, soft interior made of small cheese curds and cream. In fact, the Italian word burro, translates to butter, giving you an idea of just how rich and creamy it is.

This decadent cheese originated in southern Italy and dates back to the early 1900s (at least four centuries after the development of mozzarella). Ever since, burrata has been a key ingredient in Italian dishes such as pizza, pasta, and Caprese salads. But, in my opinion, there’s no better way to eat burrata than on its own with a little olive oil and Italian bread.

~courtesy allrecipes.com

(note: In Italy burrata is made from buffalo milk.)

A trip or two ago to Italy, we were in Rome for a few days before hopping on a cruise ship bound for, among other places, Israel. (Looking back, we’re often grateful we went when we did.) Our hotel, while decent and boasting a fine breakfast, was nothing over the top as far as the building or rooms, but its staff went out of its way to make sure we had a wonderful experience during our stay. Needing dinner one night, we asked the concierge for his best close by recommendation; we didn’t want to walk far after a day of hoofing it around the city and standing in a few too many lines. Before many minutes had passed, we were at Obicà, enjoying the freshest, artisanal Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP. (Campana is an area of southern Italy; DOP = Protected Designation of Origin) We ate it paired with dripping, warm tomatoes, of course, and see-through proscuitto with lots of chewy bread, and even went back another night to try the cheese on pizza and pasta al fresco. We drank, you guessed it, Prosecco, and it tasted nada like the easy come-easy go proseccos–lower case p– I often order at Colorado bars for brunch. At some point, though I’m not sure when, we also tried their melt-in-the-mouth burrata. It remains a favorite haunt and a smiling memory. When can we go back?!

The cheese was of the sort that stays with you (in a good way!) and I am jealous even now of the Roman locals who just popped in to grab a package or tub to take home for the dinner, along with a big crusty loaf of bread and even a bottle of wine. “Takeaway” seemed to be a big part of their business and with good reason. Of course, there’s nothing exactly like this here at home in Colorado, but I occasionally splurge and buy some top notch fresh mozzarella or, in the case of today’s menu, burrata –which means butter in Italian.

The burrata I grabbed off the shelf at Trader Joe’s is tasty, I’ll admit, and while it’s not exactly run of the mill and I’m no expert, I’d call it basic. For all it’s being “basic,” (it’s around $12. a pound -many cheeses cost lots more), it’s the sort of grocery item I would use as a main ingredient or, in this case, in place of meat or with only a little additional meat. Aside: When I next get to the local Italian deli, I’ll check to see if they’ve a better burrata but it’s always good to test recipes with easily available ingredients. Another consideration for such cheese is shelf life, which, for burrata, isn’t long. Opened, it needs to be finished within a day. Yeah; that’s not much, is it? But that seemed to not be a problem in my kitchen as we made this salad once using half of the burrata, and I immediately decided to “test” the recipe again the next day. Good and Good!

Shopping note: unless you’re at a really high end cheese shop–or in a large city excellent restaurant — the burrata you’ll find will be in small, probably pint-sized containers because it must be stored in brine. So, wherever cheese in containers is sold in your store, is where the burrata will be hiding. More likely in the deli than by the cottage cheese, but who knows.

HOW TO COMPOSE THIS SALAD: When you’re done, you should be able to say, “HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!!!! YOU LOOK GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT!!!” And the salad will respond, “That’s because I am!”

Let’s talk a little about composing this salad so that it looks like you want to eat it. I’ve addressed this another place or two. You can do a little reading in part 3 of my salad class here. You might also look at Food 52’s take on this issue here. Maybe you’ll need a bit of practice but soon you’ll see more clearly.

For now, let’s concentrate on 4 things and let you figure a while about the rest:

1. Get a big, beautiful platter or a large, shallow bowl. Grab your turkey platter or the one that came with your wedding china if that’s what’s available. Check out the thrift store for something a bit more aesthetically pleasing and keep checking back if at first you don’t succeed. An inexpensive, attractive serving tray from the grocery seasonal aisle might work, too. You are reaching for this response, “Oh! That looks so beautiful!” Now, what looks beautiful is often about to taste beautiful but the platter or even a humongous shallow bowl matters–so keep trying, no matter what. It would be great if you loved your dish. You’d want to use it all the time then, you see. Who knows what you’d make? (Note: If you’ve nothing else, cover your sheet pan with foil or parchment, fill it full with this salad, and call it perfect!)

2. Layer and Season Your Base. For this particular salad, you’ll begin by layering or lining ultra fresh peppery arugula on the bottom and around the edges of the platter. To make sure everything tastes delectable, you’ll sprinkle the greens with salt and pepper and drizzle them with not too much of your best, in this case, balsamic vinaigrette. (I include my recipe but you can use yours. Try not to buy a bottled vinaigrette at the store.) If you want, you could add some of your fresh herbs, in this case, basil, to the greens. Next up is the cooked pasta; don’t forget to add a good dose of salt to the boiling water, cooking it until just al dente. Before layering the cooked penne on top of the arugula, toss it while still warm in a big bowl with the onions, salt, pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and a good drizzle of vinaigrette. Taste it; do you want to eat it like it is? Ok, then; add it on top of the greens. That’s your BASE. The stuff on top won’t be worth a tinker’s damn if the base isn’t scrumptious. Like pizza is only as good as its crust, for instance. Like a choir is built from the bottom up, which is the bass section, even if they never stop talking. A firm foundation; that’s key.

3. Toppings. Choose and arrange your toppings wisely (think pizza again) and figure out how they’ll look not only appetizing but draw in folks who’re about to eat. In summer, the toppings that pop, pop, pop are those that are contrasting or coordinating colors like red and green, purple and white, yellow and orange–as well as textures and tastes that are opposites, such as tender grilled zucchini with crunchy red onion or soft, creamy avocado and/or soft burrata with ripe, juicy tomatoes and salty olives or briny peperoncini. This keeps the eyes and the mouth interested and engaged. If they’re standout colors, they’re probably in their best season, too. Make sense? You are appealing to a few of the senses of your dinner companions, even if it’s just your next door neighbor or only your wonderful self. If you look at the photo of today’s salad closely, you might guess I began with adding the largest topping, the burrata, first. I dropped torn pieces evenly around the pasta. The zucchini (and sautéed mushrooms when I used them), a more plodding color but important element, went next around the edges so it wouldn’t get lost. Following that, and beginning to add my more colorful ingredients, I placed chunks of ripe, bright green avocado and then the tomatoes near them because they play off each other visually and taste-wise. (We like guac, right? This hits off that feeling.) The grilled corn, as a bright accent, was sprinkled around everything for yellow perkiness and crunch. Last, but not least, lots of fresh, tender oh-so-green basil leaves are nestled in–again, where they’ll do the most good visually and taste wise — right next to the burrata, tomatoes, or avocado. While the basil is an essential taste value in the dish, it also is alluring to the eye and heart because basil is for love. (All herbs have meaning; rosemary is for remembrance, for example.)

4. Season and dress the salad within an inch of its life but carefully. The salad’s on the platter and you could eat it like it is but to give it life and legs, give it a light but definite sprinkle of salt and pepper and a bit of crushed red pepper. Make sure the tomatoes and avocado pieces are deliberately hit. Wait a few minutes, if needed, until right before serving and then drizzle (don’t pour) the balsamic vinaigrette over everything. It’s a large garnish, so to speak, instead of a main element. It should make the ingredients sparkle or jump up and ask to be eaten rather than be all you see when you look at the platter. Think of a cupcake with a drizzle of icing rather than 2 inches of sweet stuff spread on top. If you have folks with a penchant for lots of dressing, serve a little pitcher at the table and let them douse to their hearts’ content on their own plate.

Now that you know how you’re putting your meal together, I think you might have fun when you try this:

CHANGE IT UP/MAKE IT YOURS/MAKE IT NON-DAIRY OR VEGAN: Add meat or fish. Fans of prosciutto or even Jamón Ibérico, if you’re flush. Thinly sliced salami. Ultra thin pieces of grilled pork chop, or chicken. Leftover salmon or canned/fresh tuna. Sub veggies. Choose your favorites or what you have on hand but make it a mix of cooked and fresh ingredients. Choices might include roasted red peppers, steamed green beans, broccoli, or asparagus, marinated artichoke hearts, chopped bell peppers, sliced celery, or cucumber rounds. Add fruit instead of tomatoes: Sliced juicy peaches or halved fresh figs or cherries. Change the greens: Move on to radicchio, kale, or even spring mix. Add nuts: toasted pine nuts or walnuts for crunch could fill in for the corn. Swap out the olives for other briny elements like capers, peperoncini, different olives (or a mix), pickles, etc. Swap out the burrata for fresh mozzarella or feta. Swap out the basil for mint, oregano, cilantro, or parsley to match your veggie and cheese profile. No dairy for you or prefer vegan? I’d consider some sweet, large spoonfuls of well-seasoned creamy white beans in place of the burrata.

Prefer a lemon vinaigrette in place of the balsamic? My double lemon vinaigrette is included in this recipe for Tuna-Asparagus Orzo Salad with Double Lemon Vinaigrette.

TIPS: If it’s wayyy hot, cook your pasta and grill your corn early in the morning or late at night and save it in the fridge until you need it. Need to ripen your avocados quickly? Well, there are some ideas here. Cut an avocado safely; here’s a quick video well worth the time.

For an engaging rabbit hole, and to help figure out your own recipe, look at some other stellar burrata salads:

• Jamie Oliver’s Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes and Pistachio Pesto
• Food and Travel Magazine’s Burrata, Parma Ham, Fennel, Courgette…Salad
• Food 52 (Sabrina Ghayour) Burrata and Burnt Oranges with Pistachios, Mint, & Pomegranate
• Saveur Magazine’s Radicchio and Polignano Carrot Salad With Burrata and Pomegranate
• Burrata House (restaurant): 10 Luscious Burrata Recipes We Can’t Get Enough Of
• Smitten Kitchen’s Burrata with Crushed Cherries and Pistachios

Check out the other More Time Salads below; how would you have arranged them?

Below: a facebook only “recipe” from September, 2026 A very basic burrata salad.

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LIFE GOES ON:

If you’ve been a reader for any time at all, you might know about our pooch, Miss Rosie, an F1B labradoodle (1/4 lab/3/4 poodle) who’s about to celebrate her 12th birthday! This black squirrel is the bane of her existence –actually any squirrel or bunny–but this one hangs out in the exactly places she keeps an eye on regularly. Yesterday, he went out on a limb (see what I did there?) and laid flat, quiet as a mouse, eyeing her while she lost her s _ _ t. I don’t ever want any guns in my house but occasionally I wonder about that decision.

What have you been cooking lately?

One morning, I got to thinking about never having made burritos before. Lots of tacos, salads, etc., but no for real burritos. I thought I had nearly everything I might need except beans so I cooked a pot of black beans and later a small pot of rice! I had a good time using up some chicken from the fridge, along with some pico de gallo, and a pack of whole wheat flour tortillas. I had Herdez Salsa Verde to top them off, which is tasty but not terribly spicy. They were wonderful and I made them again another night!! On my list for sure. Let’s admit I had to look up a copycat Chipotle recipe to see if I was forgetting something. I made them and stuck them in my little Breville oven for about 15 minutes on 350F so that everything was hot all the way through and the cheese melted crispy on top.

I also tried, for Memorial Day, my own version of Norwegian Potato Salad and this may be my summer go-to. I based it on this beautiful recipe from the North Wild Kitchen, tossing in some whole mustard for half of the sour cream, and adding pickle juice because I love it and Dave’s mom always used it. Of course, there was crushed red pepper, in case you needed to ask. Not much, though. Just a happy smidge.

We’ve had friends to dinner twice in the last three weeks, once to fete our dear friend Ruth Lehmkuhl before she, boo hoo, moved to Texas. I do a similar table to this often throughout the spring. Ruth picked most of her menu and I enjoyed learning so much from cooking those dishes.

The stuffed pork roast was a particular request and Ruth wanted the traditional bread/sausage stuffing. While I was at it, though, I made a second roast stuffed with prosciutto and pesto. I figured out the first recipe by the seat of my pants but used a Food and Wine recipe for the second. I highly recommend it. Wasn’t hard, though perhaps somewhat painstaking, and it took only an hour to cook. I’d use it for a holiday in a New York Minute. I browned it on top of the stove for 15 minutes in a roasting pan and let it rest until our guests had arrived and had a drink. I then roasted it in the oven for another 40 minutes or so until an instant read thermometer read about 140F. Tented those babies in foil to rest while we ate our first course soup.

Here’s our beautiful wine group loving on Miss Ruth, bottom center with short white hair and glasses. We’ll miss her but we already have another trip planned together for next spring to see Sylvie graduate and to tour the Finger Lakes wine region. Eyes closed, I dreamed on.

Keep on kitchen thinking, believing, wondering, trying, and dreaming. You could do worse things with your time. What’s your summer cooking goal? Perfecting grilling vegetables? Mastering no-cook dishes? Making ice cream? Making reservations?!

Thanks for keeping ME company in my kitchen; I’m so appreciative and can’t wait to cook on,

Alyce