Nduja with Burrata
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: June 22, 2024
Italian food is at its best when at its simplest. In this recipe, smoky and spicy nduja sausage, topped with creamy burrata and fragrant basil, are a marriage made in flavour heaven.
Italian food is at it's core about the ingredients. If you put good quality in, you'll be repayed in flavour. This recipe is as stripped back as it can get, only three ingredients. Each bringing something special to the dish, creating a perfect harmony of flavour.
Nduja is a super-ingredient; a spreadable sausage/salami from Calabria (the toe of Italy). It is soft and spreadable, flavoured with the vibrant local Calabrian chillies. It is very similar in appearance and flavour to Spanish sobrassada. It is an intensely flavourful ingredient which brings spice, smokiness and colour to anything it touches. It's for that reason it works so well with the mild, luxuriously silky burrata cheese.
Burrata is a mozzarella style balled cheese, stuffed with strachiatella (a young stringy mozzarella in cream). It is very mild in flavour and has a wonderful soft and creamy texture.
The lightly warmed nduja renders all its fat and oil to create a sauce on which to place this delicate white cheese, this in turn is garnished with a fragrant basil leaf - resulting in essence of Italy! It's the perfect appetiser for any time of year, but I especially enjoy it in the warmer months.
Why it works?
Simplicity - this nduja with burrata couldn't be simpler to prepare, and it delivers magnificently in flavour too. The intensity of the sausage is balanced perfectly with the creamy cheese - it's honestly faultless!
Stuff You'll Need
Three things are all you need to make the magic happen. Maybe a little pepper if you feel inclined will take it up to four, and a light drizzle of olive oil might take it to five, but three will give you all the flavour you need.
- Nduja - this comes in carious guises, in sausage form, but also sometimes in jars too. Either is fine. We're warming it to render out the fat to create a warm sauce.
- Burrata - these are widely available in most supermarkets these days. Use a soft mozzarella as a substitute.
- Basil - use the freshest, smallest leaves for the best flavour. You could also use fresh oregano or marjoram or even a little fresh mint.
How to and tips
- Heat - Gently heat your nduja (a light drizzle of olive oil will help speed this step up a little if you're so inclined) in a small pan and it will break apart and render into a thick sauce-like consistency. We will use all of the mixture - the fatty oils are packed with flavour and a perfect partner to the creamy light burrata.
- Arrange - Place this in a small bowl and top with a ball of burrata. Finally, top with a little sprig of basil. That's it! If you feel inclined, a little black pepper and tine sprinkle of salt can help, but there's plenty of flavour in the nduja that this isn't an essential addition.
Serving Suggestions
- Serving - This recipe is for one serve, if you're feeding more, then give each person one burrata which is perfect for an appetiser sized portion.
- Bread - I always like to serve alongside fresh, crusty bread slices. You could serve as a light lunch too and maybe include a green salad alongside.
Ready to get started?
There's not a whole lot to do with this recipe, but that in itself is a benefit, right? Nduja with burrata is a fantastic dish to serve as an appetiser, I will usually go one whole burrata per person, but you could also use half a ball per person for a smaller offering.
I've also served this dish family style on a large platter with up to eight burrata, just multiplying the amount of nduja I used too. It's such a quick, easy and impressive dish that everybody goes crazy for. This really is a secret weapon of a dish, little effort, big flavour. Big win! Enjoy.
More Italian recipes
If you liked this simple recipe for Nduja with Burrata, I'm sure you'll love some more of my favourite Italian recipes.
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Ingredients
- 3.5 oz nduja sausage
- 1 burrata
- 1 sprig basil leaves
Instructions
- Place the nduja in a small pan and turn on the heat to medium. Let the sausage come up to a gentle sizzle. Break it up with the back of your spoon and it will begin to dissolve into a runny, sauce like texture. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the warm sausage sauce into a shallow bowl and then top with the ball of burrata. Finally, add the small sprig of basil and serve.
- Serve with lots of crusty bread on the side.
Optional additions
- When frying the sausage add a splash of extra virgin olive oil. This often helps break up the sausage and will also give a little more sauce later.
- Add a final sprinkling of salt and pepper to the final dish for more flavour. Be sure to test your nduja first as it is often already well seasoned and may not need additional seasoning.
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