Paccheri with Burrata, Shrimps and Saffron

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from buffalo milk; it’s closely related to mozzarella, but whilst the outer layer is just as firm, burrata hides a soft, creamy heart,  since the name “Burrata” speaks of the richness and creaminess of its core, as it comes from the Italian word for butter, burro.

Burrata is typically of the South of Italy, particularly in the city of Andria, Apulia. You can enjoy it as it is, on a slice of toasted bread topped with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Or else, you can try it with shrimps and saffron, as in this recipe!

Serves: 2 | Preparation time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins

• Paccheri pasta: 180 g
• Burrata: 200 g
• Shrimps: 100 g
• White wine, dry: 50 ml
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
• Saffron: 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cleaning fresh shrimps: remove the head, than legs, then the shell and definitely remove the black vein that runs through their body by using a tootpick. Once the shrimps are cleaned, rinse them well and gently dry them with kitchen paper.

Tip: For this recipe you can also use frozen shrimps, which usually have already been cleaned. Take them out of the fridge at least couple of hours before.

Start by cooking Paccheri in a pot of boiling salted water.

Peel the garlic. Heat up the oil in a pan and brown the garlic, then remove it from the oil.

Add shrimps to the pan and brown them on both sides on medium heat. Pour in wine and let it simmer.

Dice Burrata into small cubes and add them to the shrimps, along with the saffron. Stir thoroughly and constantly to make sure that Burrata melts into a homogeneous cream.

Drain paccheri, add them to shrimps sauce in the pan and stir. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper, serve.