Burst Tomato and Burrata Crostini

Sweet, bright, and juicy tomatoes combined with creamy and rich burrata are a dynamic duo worth celebrating. Burst Tomato and Burrata Crostini is an easy appetizer perfect for everything from spooky season to saying cheers to the weekend.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the whimsy, fun and festivity, and the excuse to not just play dress up but play with your food. This crostini recipe is an easy Halloween idea that can easily be adapted to serve year-round.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Burrata makes everything better, from topping Baked Ricotta Meatballs to this Halloween recipe. Burst Tomato and Burrata Crostini combines easily accessible ingredients for an elegant and delicious appetizer.

• Quick Cooking – Burst tomatoes cook at a high temperature. This dish comes together in less time that it’ll take you to pick which scary movie to watch.
• Versatility – Come November 1, there’s no need to have your food look at you. Skip the pepper and olive eye and you have an appetizer you can serve all through the holidays.
• Budget Friendly – Most burrata comes in a pair of two. You can easily double up on this recipe without spending any extra money.
• Familiar Flavors – Tomatoes and mozzarella are a classic pairing. Burrata and tomatoes deliver the same combination of tart yet sweet juicy tomatoes with that mild and luscious flavor and texture of creamy cheese.

What is Burrata?

Once you sink your fork into the luxuriously creamy center of burrata, you’ll never look at mozzarella quite the same way again. Burrata is an Italian semi-soft cow’s milk cheese, sometimes made from buffalo’s milk. The outer layer is solid mozzarella while the interior is made up of cheese curds and cream, or stracciatella.

Burrata can be served cold, at room temperature, or warmed through. Just like popping the perfect molten egg yolk is satisfying, so is cutting into a ball of burrata and watching the decadent cream flow.

Ingredients

This recipe makes burrata and tomatoes the stars with just enough supporting actors to let them shine. Using easy to find grape or cherry tomatoes makes this a recipe you can recreate all year long.

• Burrata – Creamy, decadent, and mild, this semi-soft Italian cheese is a combination of fresh mozzarella and stracciatella.
• Grape/Cherry Tomatoes – Use whatever looks the best. Blistered tomatoes intensify in sweetness as they cook down and burst. Not only are they easy to find ripe and sweet year-round, but they’re also the perfect size for topping crusty bread.
• Olive Oil – Choose a variety full of flavor as it add richness to the tomatoes and also help make them a little saucy.
• Dry White Wine – Adds a note of brightness to the sweet tomatoes while also making them a little saucy…perfect for dipping bread.
• Oregano – This bright herb is a little sweet with hints of mint and a little sour. Earthy, strong, and aromatic, it perfumes the tomatoes.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Brings a little note of heat that plays off of the sweet tomatoes and accents the rich burrata.
• Lemon Zest – Bright, sunny, and happy while being a little bit floral, the oils in the lemon zest perfume every bite.
• Prosciutto – While this ingredient is completely optional, it adds a savory saltiness to the mild and delicate flavor of the burrata.
• Garlic – Aromatic and pungent, garlic slices add a savory element to every bite. Just like in the movie Goodfellas, slice the garlic paper thin.
• Flaky Sea Salt – Not only accents and draws out all of the flavors in the ingredients, but it also adds a crunchy texture to the soft tomatoes and burrata.
• Fresh Basil – Adds sweetness and an herbaceous note. Basil is a classic pairing with both tomatoes and also mozzarella and burrata.
• Crostini – Grill up your favorite baguette or Italian bread so it gets that added layer of flavor from being kissed by fire.

How to Make Burst Tomato and Burrata Crostini

Fire up the grill and get out your mini cast iron pan. This Halloween recipe goes from grill to table in less time than it takes to pop open an IPA.

• Prep – Prepare your grill for direct grilling. If using a gas grill heat it to between 400-450. If using a charcoal grill prepare your charcoal.
• Decorate – Make sure your burrata ball is thoroughly dry. Cut a slice of prosciutto into thin strips. Wrap the thin strips of prosciutto around the cheese ball. Place a slice of jalapeno in the center, and half of a kalamata or black olive in the center of the pepper ring.
• Mix- Add your tomatoes, garlic slices, olive oil, wine, zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes to a bowl and mix to combine.

• Double Double Toil and Trouble – Pour the tomato mixture into a small cast iron skillet. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top. Put the skillet over direct heat and close your grill.
• Fire Burn – Allow the tomatoes to cook undisturbed for 10-12 minutes. Open the lid of your grill. When they begin to burst and become saucy move them over to indirect heat to continue cooking while you grill up your crostini.

• Cauldron Bubble – Place your burrata ball into the center of the cast iron skillet and allow it to warm through for just a minute or two. You are not looking to melt it. Remove from the heat.

• Hocus Pocus – Garnish your tomato and burrata skillet with another pinch of flaky sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. Serve with the grilled bread.

Substitutions

There’s no denying burrata makes this dish irresistible. Its creamy center pairs perfectly with the bright yet sweet tomatoes. However, fresh mozzarella or mozzarella di bufala can also be used for a similar texture and flavor experience.

Tools

Using a cast iron skillet for this crostini recipe not only evenly conducts the heat, allowing the tomatoes to simmer and burst, it’s also perfect for use on the grill. For the amount of ingredients in this recipe you will want to use a cast iron skillet that is between 6.5″-8″. You can also make this in a larger skillet if you plan on using two balls of burrata and doubling this recipe.

Tips from the Beach

While this recipe for Burst Tomato and Burrata Crostini was made on the grill, you can just as easily make it in your oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Allow the tomato mixture to cook for 10 minutes before removing from the oven and adding your burrata ball. The residual heat, especially with a cast iron pan, will warm the burrata through.

Whether you are serving your burrata at room temperature or warm, always remove your burrata from the water it comes in an hour or two prior to when you plan on using it. Thoroughly pat it dry and let it sit at room temperature. You can also allow it to sit on a plate overnight in the refrigerator. As the cheese chills, it will form a slight skin on the outside making it less likely to immediately melt when it hits the hot tomatoes.

Give your crostini even extra flavor. Brush your slices of baguette with an herbaceous parsley oil before grilling. When they come off the grill rub the hot bread with a garlic clove to give a whisper of fresh garlic flavor.

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