Quick and Easy
Burrata With Roasted Asparagus, Brown Butter & Hazelnuts
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 20 minutes
- Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes
This is an easy side dish or appetizer that comes together in very little time, with very little effort. The burrata and roasted asparagus get topped with toasted hazelnuts, brown butter, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper for added heat. It’s great for dinner parties, especially during spring and summer months, or if you want something light to snack on with friends.
Because there are so few ingredients and not much active cooking, you can easily double or even triple this by placing out a few more balls of burrata and roasting the whole bunch of asparagus. The brown butter goes a long way, so you won’t need to make much extra. I also love to serve this with toasted sourdough, but you could use focaccia or any type of bread you prefer.
Tips & Tricks
•Don’t be afraid to make this your own! Swap brown butter for olive oil, use pistachios instead of hazelnuts, and/or use red pepper chili flakes instead of Aleppo pepper.
•If you don’t have time to let the burrata come to room temperature, gently let warm water from the faucet run into the burrata container (careful, you don’t want the water stream to puncture the burrata).
•Don’t overcrowd the asparagus when roasting. Spreading them apart allows for the steam to circulate more evenly, which will allow for more even browning.
•You can also toast the sourdough in the toaster instead of the oven, if preferred. —Nea Arentzen
Ingredients
-
4 to 6
large asparagus stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces (tough ends removed)
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1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-
a
pinch of kosher salt
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a
pinch of ground black pepper
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4
thick slices of sourdough (make more as needed)
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4 tablespoons
salted butter
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2 tablespoons
whole raw hazelnuts, coarsely chopped into large pieces
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1 (8-ounce)
burrata, at room temperature
-
a
pinch of flakey sea salt
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zest and juice from ½ lemon
-
Aleppo pepper flakes for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/204ºC.
- Place the asparagus on one side of a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then spread them out evenly (see Tips & Tricks).
- Place the sourdough slices on the second half of the baking sheet, then drizzle lightly with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt (you may have to do this in batches depending on how much bread you toast).
- Place the sheet in the oven and check around 10 minutes. Pull the bread out when it is lightly golden brown on both sides, and keep the asparagus in the oven for a few minutes longer, until they are tender and browned in spots, about 12 to 14 minutes total for the asparagus.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, toast the hazelnuts until lightly golden brown and they smell nutty, about 3 minutes. (Watch carefully, they can burn quickly.) Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to get rid of any leftover hazelnut pieces.
- In the same small saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir occasionally, to ensure the butter melts evenly. As the butter melts, it will start to foam—this is the water evaporating from the butter. Keep a close eye on the butter as it continues to cook. After the foaming subsides, you'll start to see brown specks (milk solids) forming at the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat (keep a close eye on this, butter goes from brown to burnt very quickly). The whole process should take about 5 minutes, longer if you’ve doubled the recipe.
- Place the burrata on a plate or serving platter, then gently use your hands to break it apart. Arrange the roasted asparagus over the burrata, then sprinkle with hazelnuts and drizzle with brown butter. Grate lemon zest directly over, then squeeze the juice from ½ lemon over top (removing any seeds). Sprinkle with Aleppo peppers, flaky salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve with the toasted sourdough bread.
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