Burrata Ravioli in a Datterini Tomato Sauce

Creamy burrata, with its oozing stracciatella core, is the jewel in the crown of Italian cheeses and is one of our favourite ingredients to cook with. Native to our head chef Roberta’s home region of Puglia, it is not surprising that burrata features in many of our favourite recipes. In fact, the mild flavour of this iconic cheese means that it pairs beautifully with everything from Alpine truffles to Sicilian sun-dried tomatoes, making it extremely versatile. For these ravioli we have chosen to pair our burrata with the fragrant zest of Amalfi lemons, adding a gentle zing to our pasta parcels. We serve these tasty morsels in our classic roasted tomato sauce, made with fresh datterini tomatoes - another southern Italian delicacy - along with a generous scattering of toasted pine nuts. Deliziosa!

Our Burrata Ravioli & Datterini Tomato Sauce Recipe

Serves 4

Prep time: 1½ hours

Calories per serving: 857kcal

Ingredients

For the pasta dough:

• 400g flour
• 4 large eggs 

For the filling:

• 200g ricotta
• 400g fresh burrata cheese
• 2tsp lemon zest
• 4tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

• 600g vine-ripened datterini tomatoes, removed from vines and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1tsp demerara sugar
• 1tbsp tomato purée
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150g pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method

To make the ravioli:

• Prepare your pasta dough following our simple guide.
• Whilst the pasta dough rests, in a food processor combine your burrata, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until roughly combined. (You can also combine the ingredients by hand if you prefer).
• Cover the mixture and refrigerate for an hour, allowing the filling to firm up. Whilst the mixture cools, roll out your pasta sheet.
• You’re now ready to transform your mixture into delicious ravioli. For more details and images on the next step, check out our guide to making fresh ravioli.
• Cut your pasta sheet in half and lay both strips next to each other. Using the piping bag, carefully squeeze dollops of the filling down the centre of one of the strips about 5cm apart.
• Place the other strip directly on top. Before sealing, gently press on the dough around the filling to eliminate any excess air. Very lightly moisten the dough with your hands (you can use a pastry brush here if you prefer) and press it firmly closed.
• A good seal is important for keeping the filling inside so take your time here. Now take a square ravioli cutter (a wine glass works well for circular ravioli or if you don’t have a cutter) and press firmly on the dough around the filling. Set aside or refrigerate your finished ravioli whilst you prepare the tomato sauce.
• When your tomato sauce is almost ready, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook your ravioli for about 3 minutes and then drain the pasta. Transfer to the tomato sauce and toss gently to thoroughly coat in the sauce.

To make the tomato sauce:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C. Arrange your halved tomatoes facing upwards in a single layer in a large roasting tin.
• Push the crushed garlic in amongst the tomatoes, submerging it inside them where possible. Sprinkle over the sugar, salt and pepper.
• Spoon the tomato purée evenly over the roasting tin and finally drizzle with olive oil.
• Roast in the oven for about an hour until the tomatoes are soft and beginning to char in places. Check after 40 minutes to ensure you don’t burn the sauce.
• When cooked, scatter over the chopped basil and gently crush the tomatoes with a fork to form a lovely thick sauce. 
• In a dry frying pan, gently toast the pine nuts until they begin to brown and then turn off the heat. 
• Serve the sauce with your freshly made ravioli and scatter over the toasted pine nuts. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano and some fresh basil leaves. Buon appetito!