If you’re looking for bite size finger food, why not consider making filled tomatoes with fresh burrata? This Italian burrata stuffed tomato appetizer only calls for four ingredients plus salt and pepper. It’s quick, simple, colourful, and appetizing without being too filling. So if you’re in the mood for Italian, consider starting off the meal with an appetizer with burrata cheese and fresh tomatoes.
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Anyone can rustle up this super easy Italian burrata stuffed tomato appetizer in just a few minutes. It’s a lovely no-cook caprese finger food dish, boasting authentic and delicious flavours from southern Italy.
Italian Burrata Stuffed Tomato Appetizer Ingredients
It’s important to choose good quality ingredients for this appetizer with burrata, since there are so few of them.
First up, the tomatoes. You will need Roma tomatoes, which are a type of plum tomato with a slender shape. They’re great for these bite size snacks because they are firm even when fully ripened, so they won’t collapse when hollowed out and filled.
In some places they’re known as Italian plum tomatoes or even just Italian tomatoes. However they’re labeled, you will easily recognize them at your local grocery stores or Italian market by the elongated shape. Pick the smallest ripe tomatoes! Campari tomatoes, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or other smaller tomatoes would also work for this.
The next ingredient for this fantastic finger food is burrata cheese. Although many people use fresh mozzarella cheese (especially buffalo mozzarella – yum!) featuring in caprese recipes, burrata is an excellent choice for making filled tomatoes.
Similar to fresh mozzarella, burrata has a soft outer part of the cheese and a rich, creamy interior. It’s a rich and creamy cheese, and made from cow’s milk or sometimes fresh buffalo milk. The creamy texture pairs beautifully with caprese ingredients (tomato and fresh basil). It is also good with grilled figs, honeydew melon, fresh summer fruits or ripe mixed berries.
Mozzarella is similar so, if you can’t find burrata, you can sub fresh buffalo mozzarella in its place. It is a little springier in texture though. Another possibility is bocconcini, a variety of young mozzarella which comes in egg-sized pieces.
You will need olive oil as well. Choose good quality extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from Italy to keep the theme, and fresh basil too. Finally, some salt and black pepper finishes this Italian burrata stuffed tomato appetizer off perfectly.
The juicy tomatoes and creamy Italian cheese is a delicious recipe that is sometimes paired with Italian bread or other crusty bread.
How to Make this Appetizer with Burrata
First you will cut the tomato tops off with a sharp knife and use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds. Lay them on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet to drain for a few minutes. Pour some extra-virgin olive oil into each hollowed out tomato and grind in some salt and black pepper.
Spoon some burrata to make a cheese ball into each tomato, then drizzle with a little more oil. Add salt and black pepper, garnish with fresh basil (or other fresh herbs) and serve.
If liked, you could sprinkle some crunchy seed mix on top of the burrata filling, such as white linseed, sunflower seeds and so on. It is such a simple recipe!
History of Caprese Salad
Caprese salad is known all over the globe. It is made with alternating slices of tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. The red, white and green colours symbolise the Italian flag and the ingredients are typically Italian too. Although filled grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes aren’t assembled the same way, they use the same ingredients (well, apart from burrata instead of mozzarella).
The name comes from Capri, an Italian island. As for the origin of caprese salad, the stories say that in the 1920s, a stoneworker wanted to create something to pay tribute to his native Italy. He came up with the first caprese salad, although it didn’t really take off globally until the 1950s.
This stuffed tomatoes dish is paired with extra-virgin olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze. You can serve caprese salad as an appetizer, snack or as a side dish for meat, poultry or fish.
If you love this simple salad as much as I do, I’m sure you’d also love a burrata salad like this heirloom burrata caprese salad.
Italian Burrata Stuffed Tomato Appetizer FAQs
If you are making various bite size finger food snacks, you might wonder whether this one can be prepared ahead. The answer is yes, it can be. Although it’s fresher served as soon as you’ve prepared it, you can make it ahead, cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and keep refrigerated until serving.
The creamy burrata cheese flavour comes through better with this burrata recipe when it’s not chilled though, so take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature half an hour before serving.
If you’re looking for a warm appetizer with caprese flavours, there is another way to prepare this easy appetizer recipe. Chop the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. A pinch of Italian seasoning might even be nice. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour, then arrange thin slices of burrata on top and garnish with fresh basil. A warmed honey drizzle is amazing over this fresh appetizer. You could also serve with some roasted pine nuts or basil pesto.
Italian Buratta Stuffed Tomato Recipe
Italian Burrata Stuffed Tomato Appetizer
Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes roma or campari
- 8 Ounces burrata cheese
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- basil fresh
Instructions
- Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and flesh.
- Drizzle the insides of the tomatoes with 1 to 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff each tomato with a spoonful of burrata cheese.
- Drizzle with more olive oil and another sprinkling of salt of pepper before garnishing with fresh basil.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Despite having just simple ingredients and being really easy to prepare, you will find Italian burrata stuffed tomato appetizer boasts incredible flavours. This bite size treat is a great starter recipe before any Italian meal. It can also be part of a light lunch or you can have it as a side dish for chicken, steak or another protein.
This is sure to become one of your go to favorite appetizers if you are a fan of fresh Italian cheese and sweet tomatoes.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
This is easy enough for me! Can’t wait to try