Blistered Tomato, Burrata & Pesto Flatbread

The warmth of summer is here and I couldn't be happier about it! As sad as I am to see the spring season go, I am looking forward to the easy living the Summer months provide. We recently added a golden retriever puppy to our family, so in between keeping up with her and our work schedules, I am always looking for simple yet delicious dinner ideas. This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to our farmer's market where I was so excited to see the most beautiful tomatoes and bundles of fresh basil. This blistered tomato, burrata and pesto flatbread comes together in minutes and is loaded with amazing flavor. 

When you use quality ingredients, you don't need to add a lot to them. I used a mix of fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced shallots and drizzled them with olive oil and Maldon sea salt. If you are making this for a party, you could do this step ahead of time and then just reheat them right before placing them on the flatbread.

I blended up a fresh batch of pesto for this recipe but you could certainly use a jar of store bought pesto. I could eat it by the spoonful ;)

The smell you get from the blistered tomatoes is amazing! It always reminds me of when I'm shopping in a William Sonoma store. Have you ever noticed how amazing it always smells in that store?

Assembling the flatbread is so simple. I spread a few spoonfuls of the pesto on top of the flatbread, added torn pieces of the burrata cheese, and topped it with the blistered tomatoes. For a little kick, I also added a few red pepper flakes. I can't even tell you how incredible this flavor combination is! 

This flatbread is perfect as an appetizer for a summer party or it makes for an amazing easy dinner served along side a summer salad. It can also easily be altered to fit any dietary restrictions with a gluten free crust, dairy free cheese, etc.  

I hope you add this recipe to your summer menu! I would love to hear what some of your favorite summer recipes are, so be sure to comment below or on my Instagram :)

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Blistered Tomato, Burrata & Pesto Flatbread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 flatbread OR 1/2 pound pizza dough
• 2 cups fresh burrata cheese, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup pesto 
• 1 cup blistered cherry tomatoes
• Maldon sea salt
• cracked black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes to garnish

Blistered Tomatoes:

• 1 cup cheery tomatoes
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes, shallot and olive oil and season with Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and are lightly brown. 
2. Preheat the oven to 400 (450 degrees for pizza dough) degrees. Place the flatbread on a baking sheet and lightly brush olive oil on top. Bake for 3-5 minutes (for pizza dough 8-12 minutes) till golden. Remove from oven and top with pesto and torn fresh burrata cheese. Let the burrata melt (can place back in the oven for a minute to speed up the process) before topping with the blistered tomatoes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Slice and enjoy! 

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad With Burrata

Since moving back to Northern California, my husband and I are thoroughly enjoying the Fall season! While living in Southern California, we didn't realize how much we missed the changing of the leaves, crisp mornings and nights, and enjoying all of the yummy seasonal produce. When we were at the farmers market this past weekend, it was hard to miss all of the gorgeous beets and carrots. Their colors alone screamed fall. I had been craving easy, delicious and healthy fall side dishes, and I knew these beets and carrots would be perfect topped with creamy burrata cheese and pepitas!

I have found myself roasting any and all veggies this fall season. There is something so comforting and simple about them. What I love most about roasting beets and carrots is the slight earthyness and sweetness you get from them. I drizzled them with some olive oil and seasoned them with sea salt before popping them into the oven.

While the vegetables were roasting, I made a very simple vinaigrette to pour over the top of the salad once it was assembled. I also sauteed the beet greens in a pan so that they were slightly wilted. I had never actually eaten the beet greens before, and they were a nice component to this dish. You could also use chard or spinach if you prefer.

I love putting this dish on a big platter and layering the ingredients starting with the beet greens and topping it all off with the burrata and pepitas. It makes for a beautiful presentation. 

This dish pairs well with just about anything! We enjoyed it along side some herb chicken for a simple rainy night meal. It would also be great on your Thanksgiving table perhaps with a cup of soup or on its own for a vegetarian meal with a loaf of crusty bread. 

I hope you give this incredibly yummy and nourishing dish a try this fall or winter season! 

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Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Burrata Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 red beets with tops
• 3 golden beets with tops
• 6 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
• Burrata Cheese torn into bitesize pieces 
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
• olive oil
• Salt and Pepper 

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. champagne vinegar (or other white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1 small shallot, finely diced 
• 1 tsp. thyme, minced 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the tops of the beets, reserving the beet greens. Cut the ribs of the greens off, and cut the beet greens into bitesize pieces. Set the greens aside.
3. Scrub the beets clean. Half and slice the beets into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Keep the red beets separate from the rest of the vegetables if you don't want the colors to bleed.
4. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on sheet pans. Again, keeping the red beets separate if you don't want the colors to bleed. Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are fork tender and browned.
5. In the meantime, combine the vinaigrette dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine and set aside.
6. With a few minutes remaining in the vegetable cook time, heat a skillet over medium with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the beet greens and lightly sautee for a few minutes, until they are slightly wilted. Trasfer to a platter.
7. Layer the beets and carrots over the beet greens. Using your hands, break bite size pieces of the burrata cheese and place over the vegetables. Drizzle the dressing and top with fresh thyme and pepitas. Serve the salad warm or cold and enjoy!