Cook this: Orecchiette with burrata, tomatoes and almond pesto from Food of the Italian South

Our cookbook of the week is Food of the Italian South by Rome-based culinary writer Katie Parla. Over the next two days, we’ll feature another recipe from the book and an interview with its author.In many ways, orecchiette con burrata, pomodorini e pesto is a very modern dish, says Katie Parla. After all, burrata – the fresh, mozzarella-wrapped cheese with a soft stracciatella centre – is a 20th-century cheese, which originated in the Puglian city of Andria.

In another contemporary touch, the ear-shaped pasta is made with toasted flour , which evokes the city’s poverty-stricken past. A century ago, Parla explains, people in and around Andria would forage for grain in the fields after they had been burned following harvest. They would mill the resulting charred grain into flour, which they would use to make pasta.

With a renewed interest in the peasant foods of the past, products such as orecchiette al grano arso started to reappear in the 1990s. ”It’s a strange revival because it’s one that really reflects how desperately impoverished people were at the turn of the 20th century,” says Parla. “In this dish, the very humble grano arso pasta is elevated by being mixed with burrata, which is very luscious cheese and roasted tomatoes, which take their time to make, and the almond pesto.

Step 4Meanwhile, make the pesto: In a mortar, crush the almonds, basil and a heavy pinch of salt into a paste with the pestle. Add a bit of olive oil, but only as much as the herbs need in order to hydrate into a paste, no more than 3 tablespoons. If you add too much oil, the pesto will quickly turn from green to a blackish-olive colour. When you have a smooth paste, stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and set the pesto aside.

Step 5Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Heavily salt the water. When the salt dissolves, add the orecchiette and cook until they lose their raw flavour, about 3 minutes. Drain the orecchiette and transfer to a large bowl. Add the pesto, stirring to coat. Stir in the tomatoes and the burrata. Plate and serve immediately, garnished with basil.Reprinted from Food of the Italian South. Copyright © 2019 by Katie Parla.

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