Garlicky Pasta with Burrata, Basil and Burst Cherry Tomatoes

August and I have started doing lesson planning for fall in a systematic way, which is both anxiety-reducing and anxiety-inducing depending on the hour. The plan is better than spring: visual supports, structured calls, consistent scheduling, and a plan for reaching students who go dark. My co-teacher and I have divided the caseload into who can handle video calls, who needs phone only, and who we need to reach through parents entirely. It is more structure than any Zoom school should require and also probably not enough.

I made cold brew coffee this week because the summer heat makes hot coffee feel like a punishment and the iced coffee at the Dunkin on Western Ave is three dollars a cup. Recipe is embarrassingly easy: coarse-ground coffee in cold water in a jar in the fridge overnight. Strain through a coffee filter in the morning. Dilute as needed. This costs me approximately thirty cents a cup using the Aldi coffee I buy in the large red bag. Ryan said I should have done this years ago. I said I know. We have been drinking cold brew every morning since and I feel strongly that this is the best quarantine discovery I have made since sourdough season.

The tomato situation on the balcony is at full production now — I have more cherry tomatoes than I know what to do with, which is a wonderful problem to have in August. I have been roasting them: halved, olive oil, salt, low heat in the oven for two hours until they are concentrated and jammy. I put them on everything. Toast, pasta, eggs. I put a small jar of them in the fridge and Ryan started eating them with a spoon and I did not stop him because honestly same.

Patty called to report that the florist she wanted for the wedding is now available for June 2021, and she has tentatively booked her. I said we have not even set a date. She said June. I said that is a whole month, Patty. She said she said June and she means it. I said okay, June, and she said good, she had already told the florist June.

The roasted tomatoes are wonderful and I stand by them, but after a few days of jammy toast and spoon-eating out of the jar, I wanted something that felt more like an actual dinner — and the balcony was still producing with no signs of stopping. This pasta was the answer: same spirit as the roast (heat, oil, garlic, collapse), but faster and finished with burrata because it is August and we are all doing our best. It came together in the time it took Ryan to finish his cold brew and ask what smelled so good.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
8 oz fresh burrata cheese (2 balls)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
Bloom the garlic and pepper flakes. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Watch it closely — it goes from golden to burnt fast.
Burst the tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet along with the salt and black pepper. Raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing down on the tomatoes gently, for 8–10 minutes until the tomatoes have burst, released their juices, and the sauce is slightly thickened.
Bring the pasta together. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything to coat, adding more pasta water a little at a time if the sauce needs loosening. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss once more.
Plate and finish. Divide pasta among four bowls or pile onto a large serving platter. Tear the burrata over the top, scatter the fresh basil leaves, and finish with flaky sea salt and an extra drizzle of olive oil if you feel like it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlicky Pasta with Burrata, Basil and Burst Cherry Tomatoes — When the Balcony Gives You More Than You Can Handle