Silky pasta tossed in warm, oil-rich confit tomatoes and bright basil, finished with melting butter and crowned with creamy, spoonable burrata for a lush, textural contrast.
Silk and Sun: Burrata Pasta with Confit Roma Tomatoes
Warm, oil‑scented confit tomatoes and a melting pillow of burrata turn ordinary spaghetti into a deceptively easy, restaurant‑level dinner.
This is the recipe for when you want something that feels indulgent but takes hardly any fussy technique: low‑oven confit tomatoes concentrate bright, sun‑kissed flavor while leaving pieces intact, and a spoonable burrata gives you that lush, melting finish. The olive oil carrying the roasted garlic becomes the sauce’s soul, lemon zest and torn basil add brightness, and a pat of butter makes everything silkier—textures that play beautifully against al dente spaghetti.
The method is almost lazy‑gourmet: hand‑cut Roma quarters and a couple of smashed garlic cloves roast slowly at 275°F for 40–45 minutes until they’re fragrant, slightly shriveled and glossy with oil. While they do their thing, cook your spaghetti to just al dente and mince extra garlic and zest a lemon. Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water—this is the secret emulsifier that, once mixed with warm tomato oil, butter and Parmesan, turns several separate ingredients into a glossy, clingy sauce.
Assembly is fast and forgiving. Toss the drained pasta with the confit tomatoes and their oil, add minced garlic, torn basil and lemon zest, then off the heat swirl in butter, grated Parmesan and a splash of pasta water until silky. Finish by tearing burrata over the top so every forkful gets creamy, hot cheese and scatter a few whole basil leaves and cracked black pepper.
Make‑ahead friendly: the confit tomatoes keep in the fridge for a few days and reheat gently, so weeknight dinners feel prepared without much work. Use uneven hand cuts and leave some tomato halves whole for rustic texture—the contrast between jammy tomato, glossy oil, and the molten burrata is exactly what makes this dish worth the small bit of patience it asks for.
Ingredients
How to Make Hand-Cut Confit Tomato Basil Burrata Pasta
- Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Cut the roma tomatoes into uneven hand-cut quarters and smash 2 of the garlic cloves lightly with the flat of a knife.
- In a medium roasting pan or baking dish, spread the tomato quarters and smashed garlic in one layer, pour in the extra-virgin olive oil to just cover the bottom and loosely coat the tomatoes, then sprinkle 1 tsp of the measured kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the crushed red pepper flakes over the tomatoes.
- Bake the tomatoes at 275°F for 40–45 minutes until they are softened, slightly shriveled and fragrant; they should hold some shape but release oil and juices. While the tomatoes roast, mince the remaining garlic (4 cloves) and zest the lemon, then tear most of the basil leaves into large pieces, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add the remaining measured kosher salt (use the rest of the 1 tbsp). Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente (about 8–10 minutes or per package directions), reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and draining the pasta.
- Once the tomatoes are done, remove the roasting pan and, using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3/4 of the tomatoes to a bowl, leaving as much of the flavored oil in the pan as possible; reserve 2–3 tbsp of that oil for finishing and set the rest aside with the remaining tomatoes.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the reserved 2–3 tbsp of confit oil and the minced garlic; cook briefly until fragrant (30–45 seconds) then add the roasted tomatoes and any pan juices, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Add the drained pasta, grated Parmesan, and 2 tbsp unsalted butter, tossing and adding pasta water a little at a time until a glossy sauce forms and the noodles are evenly coated.
- Stir in most of the torn basil (reserve some for garnish), taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining black pepper and a pinch of salt if needed. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit 30–60 seconds so the butter melts into the sauce and binds with the oil.
- To plate, divide pasta among four shallow bowls, top each portion with a generous spoonful of the reserved confit tomatoes, then tear open the burrata and place a portion atop each bowl so the creamy center spills over. Finish with the remaining basil leaves, another light drizzle of the reserved confit oil if desired, and a sprinkle of additional grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes to taste.
Recipe Card
Hand-Cut Confit Tomato Basil Burrata Pasta
Silky pasta tossed in warm, oil-rich confit tomatoes and bright basil, finished with melting butter and crowned with creamy, spoonable burrata for a lush, textural contrast.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Cut the roma tomatoes into uneven hand-cut quarters and smash 2 of the garlic cloves lightly with the flat of a knife.
- In a medium roasting pan or baking dish, spread the tomato quarters and smashed garlic in one layer, pour in the extra-virgin olive oil to just cover the bottom and loosely coat the tomatoes, then sprinkle 1 tsp of the measured kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the crushed red pepper flakes over the tomatoes.
- Bake the tomatoes at 275°F for 40–45 minutes until they are softened, slightly shriveled and fragrant; they should hold some shape but release oil and juices. While the tomatoes roast, mince the remaining garlic (4 cloves) and zest the lemon, then tear most of the basil leaves into large pieces, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add the remaining measured kosher salt (use the rest of the 1 tbsp). Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente (about 8–10 minutes or per package directions), reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and draining the pasta.
- Once the tomatoes are done, remove the roasting pan and, using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3/4 of the tomatoes to a bowl, leaving as much of the flavored oil in the pan as possible; reserve 2–3 tbsp of that oil for finishing and set the rest aside with the remaining tomatoes.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the reserved 2–3 tbsp of confit oil and the minced garlic; cook briefly until fragrant (30–45 seconds) then add the roasted tomatoes and any pan juices, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Add the drained pasta, grated Parmesan, and 2 tbsp unsalted butter, tossing and adding pasta water a little at a time until a glossy sauce forms and the noodles are evenly coated.
- Stir in most of the torn basil (reserve some for garnish), taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining black pepper and a pinch of salt if needed. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit 30–60 seconds so the butter melts into the sauce and binds with the oil.
- To plate, divide pasta among four shallow bowls, top each portion with a generous spoonful of the reserved confit tomatoes, then tear open the burrata and place a portion atop each bowl so the creamy center spills over. Finish with the remaining basil leaves, another light drizzle of the reserved confit oil if desired, and a sprinkle of additional grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes to taste.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 73
- Saturated Fat
- 21
- Sodium
- 1250
- Fiber
- 5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 46
- Protein
- 26
- Fat
- 67
- Cholesterol
- 80
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 1000
- Sugar
- 8