Recipe: Pesto Confit Tomato and Burrata Rigatoni
The most loved Italian ingredients combined in this recipe of Pesto Confit Tomato and Burrata Rigatoni
Everyone loves a good pasta dish and with thousands of pasta recipes to choose from or create yourself it’s almost impossible to get bored of cooking and eating it. Whether it’s simple parmesan and oil spaghetti (Cacio e Pepe), fresh seafood, garden vegetables, tomato sauce or meat ragu, you are at any point in time ready to fall in love all over again with a bowl of it.
The most loved ingredients in Italian cooking
The combination used for this pasta sauce is undoubtedly a classy celebration of some of the most well-known and loved Italian ingredients – basil pesto, burrata cheese, oregano, olive oil, caper berries and of course, tomatoes. All these ingredients work harmoniously together adding elements of salty, sweet, spicy, sour and umami.
What is Rigatoni Pasta?
Rigatoni is a large tube-shaped pasta defined by recognizable ridges rolling down their length. These ridges all in all make a great adhesive surface to grab onto sauces and grated cheese more easily.
The ends are cut square (as opposed to penne which has a diagonal shape). The pasta takes its name from the Italian word rigato which means ‘ridged’ or ‘lined’. Rigatoni is most commonly served in the South of Italy, especially Sicily.
Confit cherry tomatoes with infused olive oil
This is a really handy recipe that can be used multiple times for multiple meals. Juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic and thyme are slowly simmered in olive oil to produce to most intense flavour bomb that any tomato could hope to achieve.
The garlic becomes slightly sweet and rich in umami flavour. Even more exciting is the leftover oil becomes infused with rich flavour resulting in a delicious garnish for drizzling over pasta, bread or any other dish you desire.
Click here for Flaevors Cherry Tomato with Confit Garlic Recipe
Best rigatoni pasta sauce
Three very classic Italian ingredients harmoniously combined with juicy confit tomatoes to really make this pasta the ultimate Italian dish. Whilst eating you will notice the varied textures in your mouth – the thick satisfying bite of rigatoni, juicy popping cherry tomatoes, soft umami garlic, creamy milky burrata and the perfect sharpness of caper berries cutting through and cleaning your palette.
How to cook the perfect Rigatoni pasta
As this is a thicker larger pasta, undercooking will result in a rather unpleasant eating experience. For a perfect bite, it’s best to follow the suggested cooking times written on the pasta packaging.
Once added to the sauce the pasta will continue to absorb more liquid and cook through to the perfect texture. To finish drizzle the finished bowl of pasta with the infused olive oil left over from the confit tomatoes. This will keep it shiny and moist with an added boost of flavour.
If you liked this recipe you may also be interested in:
- Roasted tomato and Fennel Pasta
- Beef Ragu with Walnut Pesto
- Gnocchi with Swiss Chard and Roasted Tomato Parmesan Sauce
Pesto Confit Tomato and Burrata Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 120 g Rigatoni pasta
- 2 heaped tablespoons of basil pesto
- 12 confit tomatoes + 4 confit garlic cloves Recipe here
- 4 tablespoons infused olive oil from the confit tomatoes and garlic
- 1 large burrata pulled into pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- 8 large caper berries
- Fresh oregano leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water for the time instructed on the packaging. Drain, reserving a small cup of the cooking liquid, and return the pasta to the pot.
- Stir through basil pesto along with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid, salt flakes, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of tomato confit oil. Cook, gently stirring to combine, over medium heat for a minute so the pasta nicely absorbs the liquid and oil.
- Remove from heat, add a good squeeze of lemon juice and gently stir again to distribute evenly.
- Transfer pasta between 2 bowls. Evenly divide confit tomatoes and torn burrata pieces between each bowl. Finish by topping with caper berries and fresh oregano. Drizzle each bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of confit olive oil.
Notes
- The Cherry Confit Tomato with Garlic recipe can be made on the same day or up to 1 week before
Suggested Rigatoni brands:
