The Creamy Italian Cheese You Can Serve With Olive Oil For An Elegant Appetizer

Before hearty main courses swoop in and steal the show, it's the appetizer that sets the tone for the night you will have ahead. Putting it together, therefore, is a delicate balancing act of adding just enough excitement to intrigue your guests while still leaving space for the following acts to shine. Oftentimes, it simply comes down to the right ingredient pairings. If you've got olive oil, you're already halfway there, and the rest of it? Leave it to burrata cheese to give your meals and dinner parties the most effortlessly elegant flair.

This is no random combination. In fact, it is usually how burrata cheese is traditionally served in Italy: drizzled in olive oil, garnished with sea salt, and paired with toasted bread slices. It's not without reason that this ensemble has stood the test of time. Burrata cheese is already such a fascinating highlight wherever you put it. Silky soft and sophisticatedly creamy, it coats everything it touches in a melty cascade of tangy richness. Only this time, it seamlessly mingles with the olive oil and that grassy, nutty smoothness. Rather than tackling your taste buds all at once, those nuances slowly unravel with each crispy bite of bread. It's flavor subtlety at its best.

Burrata is often stored in the fridge, but make sure to leave it out a bit before you serve it with this dish. At room temperature, it softens into that signature creamy softness. No less important is the olive oil. Good quality olive oil is the best pick, particularly ones with the "cold-pressed" or "first cold pressing" on the label of your bottle. This generally means the oil is extracted at a lower temperature, and this process helps preserve most of its natural, refined taste.

It shouldn't be too surprising that garlic also has a spot. Roasted or confit cloves carry an aromatic depth that never fails to impress. While you're at it, you can also roast them with fresh olives and tomatoes. Thoroughly mixed, they make a creamy dip with the most exquisite smoky undertone.

Still, at the end of the day, any burrata enjoyer will tell you that the best way to serve burrata cheese is simply to let it shine. This means you can just utilize burrata's frequent companions. Other than a small flake of salt and pepper or a squeeze of lemon, herbs near and dear to Italian cuisine, such as basil, rosemary, and oregano, are the next best thing. Basil, in particular, can be a great segue into a bruschetta spin, simply by letting tomatoes join the mix. You can also throw in chopped nuts to add fun crunches that contrast the textural smoothness, or a pinch of red pepper flakes if subtle heat is what you're after.