Creamy Pesto Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Burrata
Updated: Oct 12
Real food. Real cooking. Human tested. 🍋
When life gives you lemons, make something delicious!
Vegetarian • Egg-Free • High-Fiber • Quick & Easy • Summer DinnerSubstitute gluten-free noodles to make it gluten-free.
Inspiration for This Meal
This is one of those easy dinners that feels perfect when basil and tomatoes are everywhere.
Fresh pesto brings most of the flavor, the tomatoes keep it bright and fresh, and the burrata melts into the warm pasta and makes everything rich and creamy without needing a heavy sauce.
I love having vegetarian dinner options where I don’t miss the meat at all, and this is definitely one of them. It’s simple, satisfying, and full of flavor without feeling like it needs anything else.
Serves: About 4
Ingredients
For the Pasta
1 package Goodles noodles — I like the Curveballs
½ cup fresh tomatoes, chopped or halved
2–4 balls fresh burrata
Fresh basil, for finishing
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper flakes
For the Fresh Basil-Pine Nut Pesto
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
⅓ cup pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1–2 small garlic cloves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Make the Pesto
Add the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches the consistency you like.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Taste it. If it needs more brightness, add another squeeze of lemon. If it’s too thick, you can loosen it later with a little pasta water.
2. Cook the Pasta
Cook the Goodles according to the package directions.
Before draining, reserve about ½ cup pasta water.
Drain the noodles and let them cool for just a minute. You don’t want them piping hot when you add the pesto because too much heat can dull that fresh basil flavor.
Toss the noodles with enough pesto to generously coat them.
Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen everything up.
3. Finish It
Transfer the pesto pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls.
Add the fresh tomatoes over the top.
Burrata can vary quite a bit in size. I used the whole ball, which makes this especially rich and decadent. You can absolutely use half if you want a lighter meal.
Finish with fresh basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Add red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper if you want a little heat.
Serve with salad if you feel inspired, although honestly, this pasta can completely stand on its own.
What I Thought
WOW. This was amazing.
Honestly, the salad wasn’t even needed.
This was so fast and easy, but still rich, creamy, savory, and satisfying. I didn’t miss having meat at all.
It also saved really well for leftovers the next day.
Make sure you use a good-quality burrata because it really shines in this dish.
I will absolutely make this one again.
Pantry Swaps & Substitutions
Pine nuts: You can absolutely make pesto with other nuts, and I do sometimes. But I’ve tested pesto with a few different options, and in my opinion, pine nuts really do taste better here. If you have access to a bulk section, buying just a small amount is a great way to avoid paying for an expensive whole bag.
Walnuts: A good substitute if you don’t have pine nuts. They’ll give the pesto a deeper, slightly more bitter flavor.
Almonds: These work too and give the pesto a firmer, nuttier flavor.
Kale: You could replace some or all of the basil with kale. The flavor will be a little greener and slightly more bitter, so I’d probably add a bit more lemon.
Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or chopped ripe slicing tomatoes all work.
Burrata: Fresh mozzarella will work, although you’ll lose some of that creamy center. Ricotta could also be spooned over the top for a different kind of creaminess.
Noodles: Any pasta works here. Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
More vegetables: Roasted zucchini, blistered tomatoes, peas, asparagus, or spinach would all work well.
A Note on Goodles: Why I Choose Them
I use Goodles pretty often because they’re one of the better-for-you pasta options I’ve found that still taste like regular pasta.
They’re higher in fiber than many traditional noodles and include added nutrients from a vegetable-based nutrient blend.
But honestly, the biggest selling point for me is simple: no one in my family complains that they taste “healthy.”
In fact, I don’t think they even notice the difference.
I can swap them into a pasta dinner, everyone happily eats them, and I feel a little better about what I’m putting on the table.
And at the end of the day—or the morning—everyone poops just a little better. 😂
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.
Because pesto is best when it stays fresh and bright, I prefer reheating this gently or even eating it slightly cool rather than getting it piping hot.
If the pasta seems dry the next day, add a small drizzle of olive oil or a spoonful of pesto before serving.
