CHARRED TOMATO PESTO PIZZA

I learned the hard way that burrata is better when it’s either cold, room temp or just SLIGHTLY warm. If you try and use burrata like a mozzarella and melt it in the oven, it just gets watery and sloppy. And seeing as how my burrata obsession is in no way, shape or form, going anywhere, I’ve mastered the art of adding burrata to a pizza.

The key is adding the cheese at the last minute. You bake the crust until it’s golden and crisp. Then slather it with my addictive basil vinaigrette and THEN, and only then, do you add the burrata. That way the residual heat from the pizza crust just barely warms the cheese! You’re welcome. Consider your burrata game forever changed for the better.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pizza

• 1/2 pound pizza dough
• 2 cups fresh burrata cheese, torn
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ cup basil vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1 cup charred cherry tomatoes (recipe below)
• Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the Charred Cherry Tomatoes

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Basil Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup Basil Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the garlic, shallot and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and brown lightly.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough thin. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake 8-12 mins till golden. Remove from oven and top with the basil vinaigrette and fresh burrata and red pepper flakes. Let the burrata melt a bit before topping with the charred cherry tomatoes. Slice and serve immediately.

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