Summery Burrata Pasta

Creamy, brimming with sweet corn, packed with nutty brown butter, and peppered with fresh basil, our Summery Burrata Pasta is light, refreshing, and sure to satisfy any carb craving. On the table in 30-35 minutes!

Summer Burrata Pasta 

Even though I love a good burger, grilled brat or light salad in the summer months, I’m that person that still needs pasta in her life. Oftentimes, this comes in the form of pasta salad as a side, but every few weeks I like to throw together an easy, light pasta entree to satisfy my never ending carb craving. 

However, when eating pasta in the summer the pasta of choice must  reflect summer and our Burrata Pasta does just that. This light, quick pasta dish is brimming with  corn straight from the cob, twirly bucatini noodles, creamy burrata, and peppered with fresh basil at the end. 

The simple sauce has a base of brown butter (we love brown butter in summer pastas so be sure to also check out this Summer Brown Butter Pasta and this Zucchini Pasta in addition to today’s recipe) and white wine that’s layered with hints of tomato and garlic and finished off with a generous amount of salty pasta water. 

It’s the perfect combination of light and indulgent and takes a very minimal amount of time to throw together which makes it the perfect meal to eat any day of the week. 

Ingredients in Summery Burrata Pasta 

Butter. A big part of the flavor in our burrata pasta comes from browning the butter. If you’ve been a reader here for a while, then you know we love to use brown butter to add depth, flavor and nuttiness to a bevy of difference dishes (these Brown Butter Scallops, this Upside Down Pear Cake, and Cinnamon Rolls are perfect examples).  

The variety of butter doesn’t matter, just make sure it’s unsalted as we want to control the amount of salt. 

Aromatics. We keep things simple here with only diced onion and garlic. 

Corn. If you can use fresh corn. It’s at its peak right now, but if in the dead of winter, frozen corn is a great substitute. 

Tomato Paste. Even though I don’t want this burrata pasta to be predominantly tomato-y in flavor I do like the small addition of tomato paste to add a little bit of underlying tomato taste.

Wine. Sometimes I think I use white wine too much in pasta sauces, but I just love the way it tastes in a simple pasta. It adds a acidity and a nice zing of flavor.

Pasta. You could use pretty much any pasta shape, but I love long twirly noodles here. Bucatini is my choice because I love the teeny tiny hole in the middle and the thicker noodle shape. 

Pasta water. This is what is going to create the base of the sauce in addition to the wine and burrata cheese. 

Burrata. When adding burrata to pasta usually I want to only gently toss it in so it stays compact. In this burrata pasta, I like to completely toss it with the pasta to create a creamy, cheesy sauce. Leave a little bit out so you can garnish with big creamy burrata pieces. 

Basil. It wouldn’t be a summer pasta without a little bit of fresh herbs and there’s nothing that pairs better with tomato and burrata than basil. 

Let’s make Summery Burrata Pasta 

Brown the butter. The anchor of flavor in our burrata pasta comes from browning the butter. Start by adding the butter to a super hot skillet. When the butter melts, starts to brown on the edges and smells nutty, swirl the pan. 

Keep swirling the pan until the butter turns a deep brown color and smells very nutty. Now you’ve got brown butter! You can use it for Brownies, Bars, and Cinnamon Rolls. 

Cook the veggies. Because you don’t want the brown butter to turn into burnt butter, immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion. Sweat the onion until slightly softened and then add the corn and garlic. Season with salt (exact measurements in the recipe below).

Cook the pasta. While the corn cooks for a bit, drop the bucatini in water. Make sure your water is salted. I like for it to be just a touch less salty than sea water. 

Simmer. Fresh summer corn doesn’t need much time to cook, so only cook it for a minute or two before adding the tomato paste to the mixture. Let the tomato cook for a minute and then add the wine. Simmer until the alcohol is cooked down, this usually happens when it’s reduced by half. 

Toss. Using tongs, transfer the aldente bucatini to the corn and wine mixture. Toss. Add a little bit of pasta water and then break up the burrata and toss it with the pasta as well. Add the basil, toss again. 

Season. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy! 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Any summer veggies would be a great addition in this burrata pasta. Zucchini, squash, squash blossoms, or cherry tomatoes would be my top picks. 
• If you want to add protein, I think a sweet Italian sausage would be lovely. Simply brown the sausage before you brown the butter and wipe the pan clean. Toss it in at the end with the pasta. You could also add sautéed shrimp. 
• If you don’t have wine, no biggie, just use extra pasta water. 
• Seasoning each layer is so important so pay attention in the recipe instructions on where we advise you to add salt. 

Other Summery Pastas we Love

• Even though we title this End of Summer Pasta, this Spicy Bucatini with Cherry Tomatoes is the perfect light pasta to enjoy all summer long. 
• Cavatelli and Broccoli is a classic Italian dish I enjoy in the summertime because it’s light and refreshing with just a hint of spice. 
• Even though this Summery Tomato Orzo is technically a side dish, I’ll sometime add in blackened shrimp or grilled chicken to make it a complete meal.