Spaghetti with Burrata and Veggies

This easy Spaghetti with Burrata recipe has creamy, decadent burrata cheese melted into every bite and is PACKED with healthy veggies! And the whole thing only takes 25 minutes to make.

I’ve made this recipe three times in the past two weeks. It’s THAT good.

And while burrata is a decadent ingredient, this recipe is also PACKED with vegetables- zucchini, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, spinach, AND asparagus- so I don’t feel guilty eating it at least once a week.

I plan on eating this all summer long. The addition of fresh basil from the garden, wilted in at the very end, is the icing on the cake.

In this post, I’ll explain what burrata is (AMAZING, that’s what it is), how to make this spaghetti recipe step by step, and provide some budget-friendly tips and tricks with ingredient substitution suggestions.

What is Burrata?

Burrata is fresh mozzarella that’s been stuffed with cream and more mozzarella, then sealed into a ball. It has the BEST buttery flavor and texture. When you cut into it, you get a burst of thick, rich cream interspersed with strings of fresh mozzarella cheese. 

I like eating burrata with some good bread, spread on top, then drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil with salt and pepper. It’s simple but divine. Sometimes, I’ll add some fresh tomatoes and torn basil. It’s best served at room temperature in this case, so take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before diving in. But if you use it in this recipe, the pasta will heat it up for you.

And that cream from the inside? That cream melts into every single bite of this spaghetti with burrata recipe, creating a decadent, creamy sauce right in the pan with almost no effort.

Basically, burrata is the food of the gods. It’s 100% amazing. It’s literally one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and if you haven’t had the pleasure yet, GO GET YOU SOME. NOW.

How to make Spaghetti with Burrata and Veggies

When you read the recipe below, you may feel like there are a lot of steps and ingredients, but I promise, it’s SUPER easy to make (especially if you have all your ingredients prepped beforehand). 

Here is exactly how to make it, step by step, with photos of the process.

1. First, cook the spaghetti. You’ll do all the other stuff WHILE the water comes to a boil and the spaghetti is cooking, to save on time. When you cook the spaghetti, make sure you heavily salt the water. This will not only help flavor the pasta, but it will help flavor the sauce, since you will add some of the pasta water in later.
2. Then, start cooking your vegetables. I recommend using a HUGE, rimmed skillet for this (I used this one, and it was almost too small) or a larger pot, such as a Dutch oven, for this. You will be doing a lot of stirring and mixing, and it’s just easier when you don’t have to worry about ingredients falling out of the pan.
3. Heat up some olive oil in the skillet or pot. Then, add the onions. After they’ve softened a bit, add the garlic and cook for only about 30 seconds, until it becomes fragrant. Garlic cooks quickly, and it’s easy to burn (which makes it bitter), which is why you don’t add it with the onions in the beginning.
4. Then, add some zucchini, summer squash, and asparagus. Cook until they’re just beginning to soften, for about 3 minutes or so.
5. Next comes the cherry tomatoes. Add them to the skillet and cook for a minute or so, until they’re heated up.
6. This is important: STOP COOKING THE SPAGHETTI just BEFORE it turns al dente. It will finish cooking in the skillet, enhancing the flavor and thickening the sauce.
7. Now it’s time to add the spaghetti! Transfer the spaghetti directly from the pot you’re cooking it in using tongs to the skillet. I almost never bother with a colander. For one thing, you need that precious pasta water. For another thing, it creates another dish to wash. And the starches from the pasta will cling onto the spaghetti more if you don’t drain it (and you need those starches to create a thick, luscious sauce).
8. Then, add a couple ladles of the pasta water (about 1 cup) to the skillet. The spaghetti will finish cooking in this liquid.
9. Finally, you’ll add some baby spinach, which will wilt from the heat in only a minute or so, some parmesan cheese, which will melt into the sauce, one ball of burrata, torn up directly into the skillet, and some torn fresh basil. Taste it and add some salt and pepper if you need to.

Phew! Almost done!

The last step is to top the pasta with MORE torn burrata. The first one will melt into the sauce, but this one will stay more intact, so you get to experience the wonderful texture firsthand.

And for some extra-credit: drizzle the whole pot with some more extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of really good, aged balsamic vinegar, plus more basil, parmesan, salt, and pepper. YUM.

Ingredient Substitutions and Budget-Friendly Tips

Burrata, while absolutely delicious, can be a bit pricey (and sometimes hard to find). Don’t worry: I’ve got you covered.

Instead of burrata, you can stir 1/4 cup heavy cream in when you add the pasta water, and then top the pasta with regular fresh mozzarella or even shredded mozzarella cheese. You’ll still get a super creamy sauce and some yummy cheese pulls in every bite!

And feel free to use other veggies in this Spaghetti with Burrata. Mushrooms would be great. Broccoli, green beans, cauliflower… the pastabilities (HAH) are endless! You could even double or triple up on tomatoes, leave out all the other veggies, and call it a day.

You can also use mature spinach, or other greens such as kale or chard, instead of baby spinach. Just add it at the beginning, after the garlic, so it has time to cook. Cook it until almost all the water has evaporated from the pan, and keep in mind- this method will take longer.

Other recipes with Burrata or Fresh Mozzarella:

• Roasted Tomato and Burrata Caprese Salad with Garlic Toasts
• Caprese Pasta Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
• Chicken Parmesan Sliders
• Lightened-up Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
• Golden Sweet Potato Soup with Burrata and Sage Pesto (from Half Baked Harvest)

More Easy Pasta Recipes:

• Spaghetti with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Goat Cheese
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
• Five-Ingredient Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
• Greek Spaghetti
• Healthy 20-Minute Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff

And be sure to check out all the other pasta recipes on Bowl of Delicious!

Did you make this Spaghetti with Burrata and Veggies? Please comment below and Rate this Recipe!

Spaghetti with Burrata and Veggies

Creamy, decadent burrata cheese melts into every bite of this easy spaghetti recipe PACKED with veggies like zucchini, spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, and summer squash.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 521kcal

Author: Elizabeth Lindemann

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Ingredients

• 8 oz. spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 zucchini halved or quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 summer squash halved or quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 lb. asparagus trimmed of tough ends and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 5 oz. baby spinach
• 8 oz. burrata
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thinly
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• aged balsamic vinegar, extra olive oil, basil, and/or parmesan, for serving optional

Instructions

• Bring a pot of heavily salted water (at least 1 tablespoon of kosher salt) to a boil and cook spaghetti in it according to directions until one minute BEFORE al dente.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) over medium high heat in a large rimmed skillet or pot (a dutch oven works great).
• Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium high heat until softened and starting to brown, about 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic to the onions, stir and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Add the zucchini, summer squash, and asparagus to the onions and garlic, along with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat and sauté until vegetables start to soften and asparagus begins to turn a bright green, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until they start to heat up.
• Just before the pasta is al dente, transfer it directly from the pot to the skillet (using tongs or a slotted spoon). Use a ladle to scoop about 1 cup of the pasta water to the skillet as well. (alternatively, you can reserve some pasta water, drain it in a colander, and add it to the skillet from there).
• Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir together, allowing the cheese to melt into the liquid in the skillet.
• Add the baby spinach a handful at a time, folding the pasta over it so it wilts down.
• Tear up half of the burrata (it should come in two, four-ounce balls, so use only one for now) and add it to the skillet, stirring together until melted and the cream seeps into the sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper
• Add the fresh basil and stir together.
• By now, most of the pasta water should have been absorbed by the spaghetti or evaporated, leaving behind a creamy, thick sauce. If this hasn't happened yet, continue heating, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Just before serving, tear the remaining burrata on top of the pasta. If you like, you can drizzle it with more olive oil and/or some aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, and sprinkle it with more basil and parmesan cheese.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

• Time saving tip: Dice the onion, chop the garlic, slice the zucchini and summer squash, and trim/chop the asparagus up to three days before to save on prep time.
• Money saving tip: Burrata can be a bit pricey. To get a similar creamy texture, you can add 1/4 cup of heavy cream when you add the parmesan cheese, and top the pasta with torn fresh mozzarella, or grated mozzarella.
• I used baby spinach because it comes washed and ready to go and it wilts down so quickly. But I've made this with mature spinach, chard, and even beet greens before! You could also use kale. If you use a mature green like this, add it to the skillet before the zucchini, and sauté until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Allow for more time to to do this.
• Other seasonal veggies would be great in this- double up on tomatoes, try mushrooms, broccoli, or green beans... this recipe is very versatile.
• You can use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta if you prefer, but traditional semolina pasta will yield the thickest sauce because it has higher starch.
• The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 1117mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5455IU | Vitamin C: 63.1mg | Calcium: 487mg | Iron: 5.4mg

Nutrition Information Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:

Very Well Fit Nutrition Information Calculator

My Fitness Pal Recipe Nutrition Calculator

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