I’ve always adored fresh mozzarella – (Mozzarella di Bufala – Buffalo Mozzarella, to be exact). It’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s fresh, and it is utterly delicious.
At one point in my life, I was able to obtain buffalo milk yogurt – good god, that was amazing. Long gone are those day (I’m sad that company did not last)- but I can still bask in the glory of the fresh cheese.
Although I’ve been familiar with the concept of Buratta, can you believe that I can’t recall ever experiencing it on my tastebuds before? It’s not exactly easy to find in my neck of the woods – but my good foodie friend, Kimmy, raved about a dish she savored in a local mountain town and sought out where to find this creamy delight.
Burrata (Italian pronunciation: [burˈrata]) is an Italian cow milk cheese (occasionally buffalo milk) made from mozzarellaand cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is typical of Apulia.
Basically, the cream just oozes out from the inside.
It’s sexy – you simply want to roll your self into the cheesy goodness and never leave. (Well, that may be a little much, but I once heard an Italian friend, Mick, describe his experience with true lemon gelato that way – us foodies may be the only ones who truly understand).
Anyway, topped with a homemade marinated Red Bell Pepper Relish, Buratta will drive you nuts – especially served over pasta al dente.
Next up, I think we’ll do a sweet-tart Buratta recipe. I’m thinking honey – pistachio – and dried apricots! Maybe some cardamom too!
For now: Roasted Pepper Relish & Buratta Créme
Roasted Pepper Relish & Buratta Créme
2 cups angel hair or bucatini pasta, cooked al dente
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Roasted Red Pepper Relish
2 four-ounce balls of Buratta cheese
sea salt and pepper
Toss the cooked pasta in olive oil until well coated.
Divide the pasta between two plates and top each with one ball of Buratta. Spoon the Roasted Red Pepper Relish over the top and season with salt and pepper. Slice one edge of the cheese ball to allow the stracciatella and cream to ooze and gooze. Yum! 😋
