Pasta with roasted tomatoes, peaches and burrata

An easy vegetarian dish that’s packed with great flavour!

I love the way my family looks at me when I tell them we’re having a vegetarian meal. Their facial expressions suggest that they think they might a) die of starvation within the hour after dinner or b) head out for meaty takeout before I’ve even finished the dishes. Well, I tricked them with this one. It is packed with flavour and enough protein (thanks to delicious burrata cheese which is a ball made of mozzarella on the outside, and a creamy ricotta-filling on the inside) to satisfy even the most committed of carnivores.  When I served this up, I was thrilled to hear, after just one bite, “you can make this again. Definitely.”

Ingredients

• 3 plum (or other medium-sized) tomatoes
• 2 ripe peaches
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup (250 mL) small pasta (shells, macaroni, etc.)
• 8 ounces (250 grams) Burrata cheese

Method

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Cut the tomatoes, peaches and onions into 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast for 20 minutes.
• While fruit is roasting, cook pasta in boiling salted water.
• When pasta is tender, remove and reserve 1/4 cup (60 mL) cooking water before draining the cooked noodles.
• Put hot, cooked pasta in a serving bowl. Scatter roasted tomatoes, peaches and onions on top.
• On a cutting board, quickly slice burrata into small pieces and transfer the cheese to the top of the pasta bowl. Drizzle with reserved pasta cooking water.
• Sprinkle with chopped basil and add a few grinds of pepper, then serve immediately.

Serves 2 – 3; recipe can easily be multiplied.