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Italian Vegetarian Easy

Slow-Roasted Tomato Burrata

Two pounds of heirloom tomatoes roasted low until jammy and sweet, spooned warm over cold burrata with torn basil and good olive oil.

4.9 (312 reviews) · 45 min total · Serves 4
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Roasted heirloom tomatoes with torn basil and burrata on a rustic ceramic platter

Recipe facts

Servings

4

4 servings

Scale quantities from 1 to 24 servings

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Italian
Dietary
Vegetarian
Category
Lunch

Overview

About this recipe

Slow-Roasted Tomato Burrata is a easy lunch recipe from our Italian files, built from 9 ingredients and 7 steps and timed at 45 minutes from board to table. Two pounds of heirloom tomatoes roasted low until jammy and sweet, spooned warm over cold burrata with torn basil and good olive oil.

As written it yields 4 servings, and the ingredient list rescales with the servings control below so the shopping quantities always match what you are actually cooking. It is logged as vegetarian in our catalog, with 15 minutes of hands-on prep and 30 minutes of cooking — useful to know if you are slotting it into a busy evening.

Worth cooking

Why you'll love it

  • Weeknight-sized

    45 minutes total, with only 15 of them hands-on.

  • Easy to follow

    7 numbered steps and 9 ingredients, nothing hidden.

  • Vegetarian as written

    And the substitutions section covers the common swaps if you need to shift it further.

  • Scales cleanly

    Written for 4, adjustable from 1 to 24 servings with quantities recalculated for you.

  • Tested and re-tested

    Rated 4.9 across 312 cooks in our recipe box.

  • Italian flavours

    Filed under lunch — see the variations below for other directions.

From the recipe box

Slow-Roasted Tomato Burrata

Yield
4 servings
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min

Shopping list

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered · scaled for 4 servings

Nutrition total for 4 servings

Calories
1648
Protein
76 g
Carbohydrates
96 g
Fat
112 g
Fibre
16 g

Catalog values are per serving estimates, multiplied here for the selected servings.

Step by step

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and arrange the tomatoes cut side up in a single layer in a large baking dish.

  2. Tuck the sliced garlic between the tomatoes, then drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the honey.

  3. Season with the flaky salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes, until the edges are caramelized and the juices are syrupy.

  4. Let the tomatoes rest for 5 minutes off the heat so the juices thicken slightly.

  5. Tear the burrata over a wide serving platter and season lightly with salt.

  6. Spoon the warm tomatoes and all their pan juices over the cheese, scatter with basil, and finish with the last tablespoon of oil.

  7. Serve immediately with grilled sourdough for mopping.

Cook's note

Roast the tomatoes up to two days ahead and warm them gently before serving — the flavour deepens overnight, but never chill the burrata twice.

Swaps that work

Ingredient substitutions

5 swaps matched to this ingredient list, with quantities shown for 4 servings. The ratios stay the same at any scale.

  • Dairy 1:1 by weight

    Instead of 2 balls (8 oz / 225 g each) burrata, at room temperature

    Fresh mozzarella torn at room temperature, or stracciatella

    Mozzarella is firmer and less creamy in the middle; tear it late so it does not dry out.

  • Oils 1:1

    Instead of 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

    Avocado or light rapeseed oil

    Higher smoke point for hard searing and roasting, but you lose the peppery finish — save a little olive oil to drizzle at the end.

  • Sweeteners 1:1

    Instead of 1 tsp honey

    Maple syrup or agave nectar

    Vegan. Both caramelise faster than honey, so watch the pan closely and pull it off the heat early.

  • Herbs 1:1 by volume

    Instead of 1 large handful basil leaves, torn

    Fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley, half and half

    Keeps the fresh, green finish. Dried basil is not a substitute here — it tastes flat against the raw tomato.

  • Produce 1:1 by weight

    Instead of 2 lb (900 g) mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved

    Good tinned San Marzano tomatoes, drained

    A reliable winter option. There is less water to cook off, so shorten the roasting time by about a third.

Options

Make it your own

  • Add some heat

    A pinch of chilli flakes bloomed in the cooking fat, or a spoonful of chilli crisp at the table, lifts the dish without rewriting it.

  • Make it more substantial

    Fold in a cooked grain or a tin of drained beans; add a little extra salt and acid, since the starch will absorb both.

  • Dairy-free version

    The dairy swaps below are all 1:1 or close to it. Expect a slightly leaner texture rather than a different dish.

  • Change the herb

    Soft herbs swap by volume. Keep the woody ones in the cooking and the tender ones for finishing.

  • Scale it for a crowd

    Doubling from 4 works, but use two pans rather than one — crowding steams what should brown.

At the table

Serving suggestions

  • Room temperature suits this better than fridge-cold — give it 20 minutes out before serving.
  • Bread with a real crust, for mopping or scooping.
  • A sharp green salad dressed only with lemon and oil keeps the plate light.
  • Add a protein — jammy eggs, roasted chickpeas, or leftover chicken — to make it a full meal.

Get it right

Success tips

  1. Read the method through once before you start and set out the ingredients — most mistakes happen mid-step.
  2. Weigh or measure to the list at your chosen serving size; the quantities above are already scaled for 4 as written.
  3. Heat the oven fully before anything goes in, and give food space on the pan — crowded trays steam instead of browning.
  4. Judge doneness with a thermometer at the thickest point rather than by time, and rest the meat before carving.
  5. Taste and adjust salt and acid at the end. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar fixes more dishes than extra salt does.
  6. Cook's note: Roast the tomatoes up to two days ahead and warm them gently before serving — the flavour deepens overnight, but never chill the burrata twice.

Keeping it

Storage & make-ahead

Fridge

Store components in airtight containers for 3 to 4 days. Keep dressings, herbs and anything crisp separate until you serve, or the texture goes limp overnight.

Freezer

Not recommended: the raw vegetables and fresh dairy here break down and weep on thawing. Make the dressing or sauce ahead instead — that part keeps for a week in the fridge.

Reheating

Warm gently, covered, over low heat or in a 325°F (165°C) oven until hot through, loosening with a spoonful of stock or water. Re-season and add fresh herbs or acid at the end.

Make ahead

With 15 minutes of prep, most of the chopping, mixing and measuring can be done a day early and refrigerated. Leave the final 30 minutes of cooking, and any finishing herbs, acid or dairy, for the day you serve.

Kit

Equipment checklist

  • Oven, fully preheated
  • Wide baking dish
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Digital scale, mixing bowls, sharp knife and board
  • Large mixing bowl and a smaller one for dressings or seasonings
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring and scraping
  • Measuring cups and spoons, plus a ladle for serving

Questions

Frequently asked

Can I change the number of servings?

Yes. The recipe is written for 4 servings and the control in the recipe card rescales every ingredient quantity and the nutrition estimate from 1 to 24 servings. Cooking times change far less than quantities do, so use the visual and temperature cues in the method rather than the clock.

How far ahead can I make it?

Most of the 15 minutes of prep can be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Leave the 30 minutes of cooking and any fresh finishing — herbs, acid, dairy, crisp toppings — for serving day. The storage section above has the specifics.

What if I am missing an ingredient?

Check the substitutions section: each swap lists a workable ratio and what it changes about flavour, texture or timing. Salt, acid and fat are the elements worth keeping honest; almost everything else has a sensible stand-in.

Is this recipe really vegetarian?

As written, yes — it is filed as vegetarian in our catalog. If you swap ingredients, check labels on stock, cheese and condiments, which are the usual places animal products hide.

My timing came out differently — what happened?

Pan size, how full the pan is, and how cold the ingredients were all shift timing by several minutes. Trust the described look and feel at each step, and give the food room so it browns instead of steaming.