Foodies looking for an easy lunch or light dinner recipe that plays with taste and texture can rely on the creamy wonders of burrata cheese. Its soft shell can be pierced with a fork, revealing a buttery centre that aligns with the sweet tomatoes and fresh basil on your plate. For the uninitiated, why not start with this simple and classic version from The Barefoot Contessa.
Creamy burrata cheese, ripe mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and aged balsamic vinegar are perfectly paired with Ina Garten‘s crunchy homemade four-ingredient garlic toasts. It’s exactly the sort of bold and beautiful dish that’ll brighten your late-summer, early-fall dinner table. *Chef’s kiss*
Related: Ina Garten’s Greek Salad is a Classic for a Reason
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ingredients
For the garlic toasts
directions
To prepare the burrata cheese, cut the ball of cheese in half crosswise and place the halves, cut side down, on 2 salad plates. Cut each tomato in half through the stem end and distribute them around the burrata. Drizzle the tomatoes and burrata generously with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Scatter the basil on the salads, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve with Garlic Toasts.
For the garlic toasts, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the baguette diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices. Depending on the size of the baguette, you should get 20 to 25 slices.
Lay the slices in one layer on a baking sheet, brush each with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the toasts for about 20 minutes, until they are browned and crisp. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, rub one side of the toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Serve at room temperature.
