Photography: Francesco Tonelli; Food Styling: Victoria Granof; Prop Styling: Tiziana Agnello
Don't skimp on the oil: There's a good bit here, but it creates a gorgeous tomato sauce that coats the noodles nicely. Burrata is rich, delicious fresh mozzarella cheese filled with cream. Although it was originally a hard-to-find imported Italian ingredient, now Bel Gioioso (an American cheese producer) makes and sells it in the gourmet cheese section at many major supermarkets.
How to Make It
Step 1
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
Step 2
While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides down, in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until seared. Stir tomatoes; cook 30 seconds. Remove tomatoes from pan; set aside.
Step 3
Reduce heat to low. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add red pepper and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place canned tomatoes in a mini chopper or food processor; process until almost smooth. Add pureed tomatoes and salt to oil mixture; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Remove skillet from heat. Add spinach and cooked pasta; toss well until spinach wilts slightly. Arrange about 1 1/3 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls. Divide the seared grape tomato halves evenly among the servings. Dollop about 2 tablespoons burrata cheese over each serving, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Chef's Notes
MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.
tasty and not too labor intensive