What is Burrata
Burrata is an Italian specialty originating from the Puglia region. It has become particularly popular in recent years and is now easy to find in most grocery stores.
Burrata is a fresh cheese. It has a slightly elastic outer shell, like mozzarella. At its center is a generous creamy filling called stracciatella. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer, enhanced with a simple drizzle of olive oil and basil, or as part of a main dish with pasta or risotto. For a slightly more creative twist and to try something different, burrata can be served in a sweet version with fruit.
About This Strawberry Burrata
When I saw a reel on Instagram featuring burrata with strawberries, I immediately wanted to try it! Madamcadamia’s strawberry burrata instantly caught my attention and inspired this recipe. While her version leaned toward a sweet-and-savoury salad, I decided to take the burrata in a dessert direction instead. And since burrata pairs wonderfully with pesto, and strawberries pair beautifully with pistachios, the idea of a burrata, strawberry, and pistachio pesto dessert naturally took shape in my mind.
The Strawberry Compote
Strawberry compote is very easy to make. Simply heat the strawberries with the other ingredients until the fruit becomes very soft. They will then mash easily to form a compote.
I recommend cutting the strawberries into a fine brunoise. This helps them cook more quickly and makes the compote more uniform. Personally, I prefer keeping small pieces of fruit, so I don’t blend the compote, but you can certainly do so if you prefer a smoother texture.
Adding a few basil leaves at the end adds a pleasant herbal note, but you can omit them if you prefer.
The Pistachio Pesto
I didn’t invent pistachio pesto (although I wish I had). This specialty already exists and originates from Sicily. Traditional pistachio pesto, however, is a savoury preparation. But since the classic basil pesto has already been reinvented in sweet versions by great pastry chefs, why not do the same with pistachio pesto?
To be honest, I encountered a few challenges with the texture of my pesto. Because the quantities were quite small, my food processor had trouble blending it the way I wanted. As a result, my pesto was less smooth than I had hoped. I eventually accepted a slight compromise on the texture, although I’m sure that with more blending I could have achieved a more fluid pesto. In the end, I actually like the consistency, it adds a bit of crunch to the dessert.
The flavour is surprising. You can clearly taste the pistachio, with a subtle hint of basil in the background. The result is delicate and indulgent, and it pairs perfectly with the rest of the dessert.
Tips and Advice
– To bring out the pistachio flavour, lightly toast the pistachios before blending them, about 10 minutes at 170°C (340°F).
– This recipe can easily be adapted with other seasonal fruits of your choice, peaches would be a perfect alternative for exemple.
– If you don’t have burrata, you can substitute it with cottage cheese, or even Greek yogurt. Of course, it will be different, but still very delicious.
– Do not waste the strawberry tops: use them to prepare some strawberry syrup.
More Recipes with Burrata
Here are a few burrata recipes already published on the blog that might interest you:
– Grilled nectarine salad with arugula and burrata
– Pasta with asparagus and green vegetables
Burrata with Strawberries and Pistachio Pesto
Équipements
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 340 g strawberries
- 5 leaves basil
- 1 tbsp of maple syrup
- a squeeze of lemon
Pistachio pesto
- 50 g pistachios roasted recommended
- 5 leaves basil
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 50 mL olive oil
AssemblIng
- 340 g fresh strawberries
- 2 small burratas
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Wash the strawberries and remove the tops. Dice them into small cubes.
- Finely chop the basil leaves.
- Place the strawberry pieces in a pan. Add a splash of lemon juice and the maple syrup.
- Heat over medium heat until the strawberry pieces are soft and turn into a compote.
- Remove from heat and add the basil.
- Set aside.
Pistachio pesto
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender.
- Blend until the mixture is smooth but with small pieces of pistachio still visible.
AssemblIng
- Spoon some strawberry compote onto a plate.
- Place the burrata in the center of the strawberry compote.
- Cut the burrata open.
- Add some strawberry compote to the slit in the burrata.
- Add some fresh strawberry slices and a few dots of pistachio pesto.
