Pasta Positanese is an incredible pasta dish from Positano made with orecchiette, sausage, cherry tomatoes and creamy burrata cheese. So rich, indulgent and addictively delicious!
14oz (400g)orecchiette pasta (or other short pasta shape)
1lb (450g)cherry tomatoes
3-4Italian sausages(325g/11.5 oz)
1ball (150g/5oz)burrata
1clovegarlic
3-4largebasil leaves
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Slice the tomatoes in half and peel the garlic then set them aside.
Remove the sausages from their skins and brown them in a large pan on a medium heat. Break the sausages up with a wooden spoon to get a crumbly texture. Fry the sausage until browned and slightly crispy then remove them from the pan to a bowl and set aside.
Add the sliced tomatoes, whole, peeled garlic clove and a pinch of salt and pepper to the same pan (you shouldn’t need any oil as the sausages will have released fat). Saute the tomatoes until soft but still holding their shape.
Set aside 3 slices of tomatoes per person for topping (12 total) and a little sausage. Remove the garlic then add the remaining tomatoes to a bowl with the burrata and basil. Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy (you can also do this in a blender).
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
When the pasta is almost cooked, add the sauce and sausage back to the pan on a low-medium heat. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat in the sauce. If your sauce looks a little thin keep it on the heat for 1-2 minutes to help it reduce.
Serve the pasta in bowls topped with a little leftover sausage and tomatoes.
Video
Notes
Use high-quality ingredients - as with all recipes the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference in flavour.
Sausage - brown the sausage well so it gets nice and crispy.
Burrata - you can replace the burrata with mascarpone (just use enough to get a light orange/pink coloured sauce) but burrata makes this dish extra delicious.
Parmigiano Reggiano - some recipes add some Parmigiano Reggiano in at the end but we prefer the taste of the sauce without it. You can add it in to taste if you prefer.
Sauce consistency - if your sauce is too thick you can add a splash of pasta water to emulsify it. Equally, if it's on the thin side you can heat the sauce in the pan for 1-2 minutes more until thickened slightly.
Leftovers - leftover pasta will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days, it can be eaten cold or reheated. To reheat, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.