Roman Pinsa Bruschetta, Remixed with Stracciatella
Remix theme: a classic Roman pinsa bruschetta gets a creamy “drop” of stracciatella/burrata under juicy tomatoes for a crisp-meets-velvet duet.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4
Pinsa brings the Roman street-food crunch; stracciatella/burrata brings Puglian velvet. The two meet like DJ and vocalist: the base stays blistered and loud, while cool cheese softens the edges and makes every bite sing. Salt the tomatoes to tighten their groove, keep the crust shatter-crisp, and let the basil perfume the room—then drop clouds of cream just before serving for a temperature and texture duet you’ll crave again and again.
Historically, burrata hails from Puglia (its name nods to “buttered”), and modern pinsa riffs on ancient Roman methods. Together they turn simple market ingredients into a future–retro Italian mashup: familiar, yet newly irresistible.
Ingredients
- 2 store-bought pinsa bases (approx. 230–250 g each)
- 250–300 g stracciatella di bufala or 2 small burrate (250–300 g total), well-drained and chilled
- 500 g ripe tomatoes (mixed heirlooms or vine-ripened), cored and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, divided
- 15 g fresh basil leaves, torn (reserve some for garnish)
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus a little more to finish
- 10 ml red wine vinegar
- 5 g fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 small shallot (30 g), finely minced
- Optional finish: a few drops aged balsamic or lemon zest
Nutrients
- calciumhigh
From stracciatella/burrata
- proteingood
Dairy plus grain base
- lycopenegood
Concentrated in red tomatoes
- vitamin Cgood
From ripe tomatoes
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 250°C with a baking steel or upside-down tray inside to heat thoroughly.
- 2
In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, 1 finely grated garlic clove, most of the basil, 40 ml olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and shallot if using. Toss and let stand 10 minutes to release juices, then tip into a sieve to drain well (reserve the juices for a salad).
- 3
Bake the pinsa bases on the hot steel/tray for 6–8 minutes until the edges blister and the bottoms are crisp.
- 4
Stir the remaining 20 ml olive oil with the remaining garlic (grated or crushed) to make a quick garlic oil. Brush a thin layer over the hot pinsa bases.
- 5
Working quickly, spoon stracciatella in soft clouds (or tear burrata into pieces) over the hot bases, leaving a small border.
- 6
Top with well-drained tomato mixture—spoon mostly solids for maximum crunch. Finish with reserved basil, a twist of pepper, a thread of olive oil, and a few drops of aged balsamic or a fine grate of lemon zest if desired.
- 7
Slice and serve immediately while the base is crackly and the cheese still cool.
Chef's Tip
Keep the cheese chilled until the last moment so the edges lightly melt on contact with the hot crust while the center stays luxuriously cool.
Fun Fact
Burrata was born in Andria, Puglia, in the early 20th century; its name means “buttered.” Modern Roman pinsa surged in the 2000s, inspired by ancient techniques and high-hydration doughs.
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