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Burrata with Cheat's Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pistachio Pesto Crumb

This burrata with roasted tomatoes is the sort of lunch that makes a convincing argument for taking your time over something very simple. Warm, deeply savoury tomatoes; a generous spoonful of lemony pistachio pesto; cool burrata; and a golden crumb that gets into absolutely everything.

There is little complicated cooking here. The oven does most of the work, the pesto comes together in a few pulses, and the final assembly takes about as long as it should take to decide whether to open another bottle of sparkling water.

Serves twoTomatoes: 150°C / 60 minutesHomemade pestoBest served immediately

First, the tomatoes

They're not technically sun-dried, of course. An hour in a low oven does a remarkably good impression, without having to arrange your afternoon around the weather. For burrata with roasted tomatoes, start with ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, season generously and let them slowly soften, wrinkle and deepen in flavour.

Fresh vine tomatoes ready for burrata with roasted tomatoes
Begin with ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes.
Seasoned tomato wedges arranged on a baking tray before slow roasting
Seasoned and ready for the low oven.

After 60 minutes at 150°C, the edges should look a little crumpled and the juices concentrated. You want them tender and rich, not dried into oblivion. Let them cool slightly so they don't overwhelm the burrata when you come to plate everything.

Slow-roasted tomato wedges with caramelised edges on a baking tray
All the intensity of sun-dried tomatoes, with considerably less waiting around.

Be generous with the pesto

There is a place for a restrained pesto. This isn't it. Basil, garlic, lemon, Parmesan, pistachios and olive oil need to make themselves known. The more aromatic ingredients you give it, the more flavour you'll find in the finished dish.

Blitz everything just enough to bring it together, leaving a little texture. I prefer a pesto you can see and taste, rather than something perfectly smooth and anonymous. Taste before plating: a little more lemon or basil can make all the difference.

Homemade basil and pistachio pesto with lemon garlic and Parmesan
Bright, aromatic pistachio pesto. Keep some texture.

The crumb is not an afterthought

It is tempting to stop at burrata, tomatoes and pesto. Resist. The toasted crumb is what takes this from a lovely combination of ingredients to a plate you keep returning to for one more forkful.

Blitz white bread with roughly chopped pistachios, basil and lemon zest until you have a coarse mixture, then spread it flat across a baking tray. Toast until crisp and golden, and finish with a generous glug of olive oil. The contrast with the soft cheese is the whole point.

Golden toasted breadcrumb and pistachio crumb with basil and lemon zest
Golden, fragrant and deliberately a little rough around the edges.

Putting it all together

Spoon the pesto generously across a shallow plate and arrange the warm roasted tomatoes over it. Set the burrata in the middle, then scatter over the pistachio crumb and any extra chopped pistachios. Finish with olive oil and, if it needs it, a little more lemon or seasoning.

Pistachio pesto and slow-roasted tomatoes arranged before adding burrata
The foundation: plenty of pesto, followed by those slow-roasted tomatoes.

Then comes the very satisfying part. Cut into the burrata at the table and let the creamy middle run into the pesto and tomato juices. Burrata comes from Puglia, where it is often enjoyed simply with tomatoes; Great Italian Chefs has a lovely piece on its origins. It looks a little extravagant. It is also, conveniently, lunch.

Overhead view of burrata with roasted tomatoes and pistachio pesto crumb
The finished plate.
A knife cutting into creamy burrata topped with pistachio crumb
The best bit: breaking into the burrata.
Close-up of creamy burrata spilling into roasted tomatoes and pistachio pesto
Creamy burrata, rich tomatoes and the crunch of pistachio.

What to serve with it

For a light lunch, this burrata with roasted tomatoes is quite happy on its own. Add a handful of peppery leaves if you want something green alongside, or good wholegrain bread if you're planning to chase every last streak of pesto around the plate.

If Mediterranean-style lunches are your thing, you might also like my guide to building a Mediterranean lunch from what's in the fridge. For another pistachio-pesto idea, see my salmon with creamy pesto sauce.

It is the kind of dish that rewards good ingredients and a little generosity, especially where the olive oil is concerned.

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The recipe

You'll find the ingredient quantities and step-by-step method in the recipe card immediately below. The tomatoes need an hour in the oven, but the rest is wonderfully hands-off.

Burrata with Cheat's Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pistachio Pesto Crumb

Slow-roasted tomatoes, creamy burrata, homemade pistachio-basil pesto and a golden, lemon-scented pistachio crumb. A Mediterranean sharing plate for two.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish, Snacks
Cuisine: Modern Mediterranean
Keyword: Burrata, Burrata Salad, Easy Starters, Italian Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Pistachio Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, Sharing Plates, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Vegetarian Recipes
Servings: 2
Author: heylolly

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

  • For the Cheat's Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • 450 g ripe vine tomatoes cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 whole dried chillies optional
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pistachio Pesto

  • 30 g shelled unsalted pistachios
  • 1 generous handful fresh basil leaves
  • 20 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • For the Toasted Pistachio Crumb
  • 30 g white bread roughly torn
  • 20 g shelled pistachios
  • 1 small handful fresh basil
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil approximately

To Serve

  • 1 whole burrata approximately 125g
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Roast the Tomatoes
  • Preheat the oven to 150°C. Cut the tomatoes into long wedges and arrange them cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper, and add the whole dried chillies if using.
  • Roast for 60 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and become deeply concentrated, with slightly wrinkled surfaces and darkened edges.

Make the Pistachio Pesto

  • Add the pistachios, basil, Parmesan and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
  • Add the lemon juice and gradually incorporate the olive oil, pulsing until you have a thick, spoonable pesto with plenty of texture.
  • Taste and adjust the aromatics. Be generous with the basil, lemon and garlic to build plenty of flavour.

Prepare the Pistachio Crumb

  • Add the bread, pistachios, basil and lemon zest to a food processor. Pulse briefly until you have a rustic, uneven crumb.
  • Spread the mixture in a thin layer across a baking tray and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, checking regularly and turning as needed.
  • Finish with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Assemble the Dish

  • Spoon the pistachio pesto generously across a shallow serving plate.
  • Arrange the warm, slow-roasted tomatoes over the pesto.
  • Place the whole burrata in the centre and scatter the toasted pistachio crumb over the cheese and tomatoes.
  • Finish with a little extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

NOTES
The pesto should remain slightly coarse rather than completely smooth. Don't hold back on the aromatics: fresh basil, lemon and garlic are essential to its flavour.
Keep the toasted crumb separate until serving so that it retains its crunch.
The tomatoes and pesto can be prepared in advance. Assemble the finished dish shortly before serving.
The tomatoes are oven-roasted rather than traditionally sun-dried, creating a similar concentrated sweetness in considerably less time.
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