SPAGHETTI WITH BURRATA, TOMATOES, AND BASIL AND MINT PESTO

20 MINS

SERVES 2

Bring the burrata out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you want to serve so that it can come to room temperature for the best flavour and texture.

FOR THE PESTO — 20g pine nuts

— 2 handfuls of basil leaves, with a few small leaves saved for garnishing — 1 small handful of mint leaves

— 1 small garlic clove

— 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SPAGHETTI — 2 tbsp butter or oil

— 2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

— 500g ripe cherry tomatoes

— pinch of chilli flakes — 2 tbsp capers

— 50g pitted olives (about 16); I like the black wrinkly ones

— 160g spaghetti

— 1 small ball of burrata, drained, to serve, or use goat’s cheese if you prefer

Toast the pine nuts in a medium frying pan for a minute or so, tossing them halfway through, until golden. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily and will continue to toast in the pan even off the heat. Tip into a bowl and set aside.

To the same frying pan, add the butter or oil for the spaghetti and gently fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the chilli flakes. Add a splash of water and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, by which time some of the tomatoes will have burst. Stir every now and then to make sure the garlic doesn’t catch, especially at the beginning, adding another splash of water if it needs it. (After about five minutes, the tomatoes, particularly the smaller ones, start to burst and soften, so will release their juices to help.) Halfway through, add the capers and olives.

As soon as the tomatoes are cooking away, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions, minus a minute of cooking time.

Meanwhile, make the pesto. Set half of the toasted pine nuts aside with the smaller basil leaves. Place the rest of the nuts and basil with the mint leaves and garlic in a small food processor and blitz, or use a pestle and mortar to pound everything together, adding the olive oil as you go until it reaches your preferred consistency (I prefer a chunky, rustic pesto). Taste for seasoning.

Back to the tomato sauce, use the back of your spoon to smash a few of the larger cherry tomatoes if they haven’t yet burst, which will help create more of a sauce. I like it when half the tomatoes have burst and half are still whole but soft.

Drain the spaghetti once it’s just al dente and reserve half a mug of the pasta cooking water.

Toss the spaghetti through the tomato mixture, adding a few tablespoons or more of pasta cooking water, and simmer for 30 seconds.

Serve straight away, with the burrata torn in half and nestled on top of each portion of pasta, then drizzle the pesto on top. Garnish with the reserved basil leaves and toasted pine nuts.