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My love for appetizer recipes is no secret. In my opinion, appetizers are basically the foreplay of the meal, and this recipe for Basil Pesto Burrata is hitting a home run!
Why You’ll Love Basil Pesto Burrata
Quick, Easy, Delicious – This appetizer is buttery, rich and so creamy! The nutty basil pesto pairs unbelievably with the burrata. This basil pesto burrata recipe is super simple and comes together so quickly. Oh, and did I mention the tastes are on point! When you spread that burrata skin and all the creamy delicious insides come out and mix with the basil pesto, just wait!
Table of Contents
🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
This appetizer is awesome for company because you can make the basil pesto the day before and then wait until right before serving assemble it which is super easy!
Gather Your Ingredients
Chop/Grate/Zest
- Garlic Cloves: 3 peeled, thinly slice
- Chives: 2 tbsp, chop
- Parmesan: ⅓ cup, grate
- Basil leaves: 12-14, rough chop
- Lemon: 1, zest
- Baguette: slice and toast
Gather
- Pistachio, 3 tbsp
- White Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp
- Salt, a pinch
- Olive Oil, ⅓-½ cup
- Burrata, 8 oz container with 2 balls, drained
Toppings
- Honey: a drizzle
- Parmesan: to taste, grate
- Chives: to taste, chop
- Flaky Salt: to taste
- Black Pepper: fresh cracked
- Small Basil Leaves: left whole
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Small Pan
- Food Processor
🫶 Enjoy your basil pesto burrata 🫶
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Nuts → Swap your pistachios for walnuts, almonds, pine nuts or if you’re nut-free, you can use sunflower seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Burrata → It will not be the same if you swap this because you will miss out on the creamy stracciatella in the middle, but you can use fresh mozzarella balls, and it will be delicious in its own way.
- Baguette → Any crusty bread will work great instead of a baguette. Ciabatta, sourdough or even pita chips would all be amazing to dip this in.
- Variations
- Pasta Variation – Want to make a full meal out of this? It’s easy. Make your choice of pasta, make extra basil pesto, mix that into the pasta, and then top the entire thing with the burrata.
- Spicy Kick – You can add Calabrian chilies and red chili flakes to the food processor to heat this up if you would like. I also have a Chili Crisp Burrata if you are looking for a spicy recipe.
- Deconstructed Bites – You can let your company put together their own bites. Have the toast, burrata and basil pesto separated and then place those toppings in small ramekins. Your company can take a slice of toast, rub the fresh sliced garlic on it, and add a dollop of the burrata and a spoonful of the basil pesto and then choose which toppings sound good to them.
The Perfect Pairings
For your cocktail, The Salty Vinegartini will pair great because it cuts through the rich and creamy basil pesto burrata bites. For your mains, Chicken Francese with an Arugula Fennel Salad and Potato Puree.
Basil Pesto Burrata: Questions Answered
I like to toast my bread on a skillet in olive oil because it is way tastier than popping it in a toaster. Another alternative is to toast it in the oven, preheat your oven to 350°F, brush your sliced bread on both sides with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake it for around 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Be careful that you don’t over-toast it. It will harden as it cools and if you crisp it up too much, it’s just not good.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can try using a blender or even a mortar and pestle. I’ve never one it this way and I know the constituency will not be the same, but the flavors will be there.
You can make the Basil Pesto a day ahead. Wait to drain the burrata and assemble it a little before serving. You will want to make the toast pretty close to serving also, or it will harden too much.
Basil Pesto Burrata
Equipment
- pan
- plate
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves, adjust to taste
- oil, enough to coat the garlic
- 3 tbsp pistachio
- 2 tbsp chives, rough chop
- ⅓ cup parm, freshly grated
- 12-14 basil leaves, rough chop
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅓-½ cup olive oil, start with ⅓ and adjust
- 8 oz burrata balls, 4 oz each, drained
- 1 baguette, sliced and toasted in olive oil
Toppings
- honey
- parm
- chives
- flaky salt
- black pepper, fresh cracked
- small basil leaves, whole
Instructions
- On a cutting board, peel your garlic and thinly slice. You can do more if you would like, I don't like mine super garlicky.
- Add the garlic to a cold pan and coat in oil. Turn heat to medium sauté till they are a pale golden color, do not overcook.
- To a food processor, add the pistachios and pulse until smooth. Add in the toasted garlic, chives, parm, basil, lemon zest, vinegar, a pinch of salt, pepper and olive oil. Continue to pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Adjust for salt and oil.
- Place your burrata balls on a plate, top with the pesto. Drizzle honey, parm, chives, flaky salt, fresh cracked black pepper and place a few small basil leaves on top. Enjoy.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
