With the smoky notes of burnt wheat pasta, creamy burrata, and sweet cherry tomatoes, our Orecchiette di Grano Arso recipe brings you the rustic flavors of southern Italy. This dish is simple yet decadent. It combines fresh ingredients and traditional techniques for an unforgettable culinary experience.
Orecchiette di Grano Arso recipe with cherry tomatoes and burrata is a dish that encapsulates the flavors of Puglia and its traditions. "Grano arso" means "burnt grain". Historically, Grano Arso was made by grinding durum wheat grains collected from fields after stubble burning. In modern times, it's obtained by toasting, a safer method. The grayish flour has a slightly smoky aroma and a rich, nutty flavor.
Orecchiette di Grano Arso with Burrata and Cherry Tomatoes is a very tasty and, above all, quick recipe. However its success depends above all on the quality and freshness of the raw materials.
So pasta of excellent quality or made by you at home. Tomatoes just ripe and full of flavor. To finish a fresh and creamy burrata. Flavored with a few leaves of fresh basil and a drizzle of excellent extra virgin olive oil.
I used excellent Orecchiette di Grano Arso, a typical product of Puglia, but classic Orecchiette will also be perfect. I tried this dish in Alberobello, a beautiful town that I recommend you to visit! The simplicity of the dish and its goodness amazed me!
So here is how to make Orecchiette di Grano Arso Recipe with Burrata and Cherry Tomatoes, a great dish in just a few steps!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 15 Min | Servings: 4
- 350 g (¾ pound) of orecchiette di grano arso. You can also try making classic orecchiette at home by following our recipe for Homemade Orecchiette.
- 300 g (10 oz) of cherry or grape tomatoes. We have chosen small tomatoes. They are usually tastier. But you can use any kind of tomatoes that you like.
- 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil + more to serve
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt, to taste
- 250 g (~9 oz) of burrata
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves + more to serve
- 1 chili pepper (optional, it depends on whether you want a spicy dish or not)
Instructions
Make the Sauce
Step 1) - To prepare orecchiette di grano arso with cherry tomatoes and burrata, start by choosing very ripe, flavorful tomatoes that will release their juice during cooking. Wash them thoroughly and cut them into four pieces.
In a frying pan, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in 4 tablespoons of evo oil. Make sure that the garlic does not burn, but only turns golden. This will take 2-3 minutes. The chili pepper is optional, use only if you like it spicy.
Step 2) - Remove the garlic cloves and chili pepper and add the chopped cherry tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to release the juices. Season lightly with salt to taste and add 5-6 fresh basil leaves, crushed with your hands.
Cook the Pasta
Step 3) - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the orecchiette pasta. Cook for the time indicated on the package.
PLEASE NOTE: It usually takes 10-12 minutes for dry orecchiette. Only 5-6 minutes for fresh orecchiette.
Drain the orecchiette al dente with a slotted spoon directly into the pan with the cherry tomato sauce.
Step 4) - Toss the pasta in the saucepan over high heat for about a minute, stirring well and adding a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. This will make the sauce even creamier!
Serve
Step 5) - When the orecchiette are well blended with the sauce, remove from the heat. Now take the burrata and cut it into small pieces so that its interior, the stracciatella, mixes with the exterior mozzarella. Finally serve orecchiette di grano arso on the plate, adding some fresh basil leaves. Then add a spoonful of burrata and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Buon appetito!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Orecchiette with broccoli rabe
- Orecchiette with Broccoli, Anchovies and Tomatoes
- Angel Hair with Pesto and cherry tomatoes
- Tomato Risotto Recipe (Risotto al Pomodoro)
Storage
Orecchiette di grano arso with cherry tomatoes and burrata is one of those dishes that we call "espresso", that is, freshly prepared, cooked and eaten.
The fragrance and creaminess of the burrata and the fresh cherry tomatoes can be appreciated as soon as the dish is ready.
This is not a dish that can be prepared in advance.
However, if you have leftover orecchiette, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for about two days and then reheat them in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil.
Of course, the burrata should be added at the time of serving.
Variations ant Tips
- TYPE OF PASTA: As mentioned in the introduction, I used orecchiette di grano arso, but you can also use classic durum wheat orecchiette.
You can also use other shapes of pasta. The important thing is that it's a pasta that holds up well when cooked. For example, paccheri, penne, but also spaghetti, as long as they are not very thin and better if they are bronze-drawn. - TOMATOES: To make the dish more lively and colorful, you can use different colored cherry tomatoes, for example red-yellow-green, with the same method. The important thing is that they are ripe and flavorful tomatoes. Salad tomatoes will not do.
- CHILI PEPPER: If you don't like its hot taste, you can omit the chili pepper, or increase the dose if you like it.
- HERBS: Instead of basil, you can flavor the sauce with thyme or marjoram.
- BURRATA OR... STRACCIATELLA? Both cheeses, typical of Apulia, are suitable for this preparation. Their addition to the dish is the special element that makes a simple dish exceptional. The delicate taste and the creaminess give a gourmet touch to the dish.
In fact, they are NOT two different cheeses. Stracciatella is just the inside of Burrata, and is often sold on its own.
For more information and insight into these types of Italian dairy products, I recommend reading "Burrata: History, Making, and Perfect Pairings.
READ: Burrata: History, Making, and Perfect Pairings
What is Grano Arso?
Grano arso is not a specific type of wheat, but rather any hard wheat that has been literally "burned". Its origin is as old as it is poor.
It owes its origin to the practice of the peasants to burn the stubble after the wheat harvest in order to facilitate the recultivation of the land.
Poor people, driven by hunger, would beat the earth palm by palm in search of the grains of wheat that had escaped the harvest (but not the fire) and were thus burned. These were then ground, resulting in an ash-colored flour with a very intense toasted flavor.
From its origins to the present day, this product has undergone a revaluation that has completely reversed its fortunes.
From a true waste product, it has become a niche product, sought after and used by top chefs around the world. They use the characteristics of durum wheat to prepare dishes with an unusual color and an intense, tantalizing aroma.
Today, to meet market demands and avoid health risks, the grano arso is produced by toasting durum wheat to develop a dark color and roasted flavor without actually burning the grain.
The result is a modern, naturally gluten-free whole grain with a smoky note that gives dishes an intense flavor with nuances of dried fruit and coffee.
Recipe Card
Orecchiette di Grano Arso Recipe with Burrata & Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 350 g orecchiette - ¾ pound of orecchiette di grano arso
- 300 g tomatoes - 10 oz, cherry or grape
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil - Extra Virgin, + more to serve
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt - to taste
- 250 g burrata - ~9 oz
- 5-6 leaves basil - fresh, + more to serve
- 1 chili pepper optional, it depends on whether you want a spicy dish or not
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Start by choosing very ripe, flavorful tomatoes that will release their juice during cooking. Wash them thoroughly and cut them into four pieces.
- In a frying pan, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in 4 tablespoons of evo oil. Make sure that the garlic does not burn, but only turns golden. This will take 2-3 minutes. The chili pepper is optional, use only if you like it spicy.
- Remove the garlic cloves and chili pepper and add the chopped cherry tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to release the juices. Season lightly with salt to taste and add 5-6 fresh basil leaves, crushed with your hands.
Cook the Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the orecchiette pasta. Cook for the time indicated on the package.PLEASE NOTE: It usually takes 10-12 minutes for dry orecchiette. Only 5-6 minutes for fresh orecchiette.
- Drain the orecchiette al dente with a slotted spoon directly into the pan with the cherry tomato sauce.
- Toss the pasta in the saucepan over high heat for about a minute, stirring well and adding a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. This will make the sauce even creamier!
Serve
- When the orecchiette are well blended with the sauce, remove from the heat. Now take the burrata and cut it into small pieces so that its interior, the stracciatella, mixes with the exterior mozzarella. Finally serve orecchiette di grano arso on the plate, adding some fresh basil leaves. Then add a spoonful of burrata and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Buon appetito!
Leave a Reply