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This is one of my favourite sandwiches: a burrata caprese sandwich with Prosciutto and Pistachio Pesto. The secret of this sandwich is the jammy roasted tomatoes. They are sweet and full of flavour, and I love how the tomato juices are soaked up by the bread. Paired with pistachio pesto, cool and creamy burrata, and salty prosciutto, it is so good.
You may think that roasting tomatoes for a sandwich like this is a lot of unnecessary effort, especially when you could just slice fresh tomatoes. If I have the most gorgeous summer tomatoes then sure, I have used those in the past and it is a delicious sandwich. But I’m telling you that the roasted jammy tomatoes really are a showstopper here. They are juicy and sweet, soaking into the crispy bread, almost dressing the burrata. It makes it one of those sandwiches where the juices run down your wrists but that is what I love about this Burrata Caprese sandwich. It has to have all the elements – crunchy, sweet, salty, creamy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s very simple to assemble but looks more impressive than your average sandwich.
- Inspired by a caprese salad, this burrata caprese combination has tomatoes, basil and burrata, which makes it even more delicious than using mozzarella.
- It can be adapted based on your tastes – use a different type of ham, use a different pesto, or add roasted red peppers, for example.
- It’s an absolutely delicious sandwich that will have you hooked from the first time you make it.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Ciabatta – a holey, crispy Italian bread that is perfect for a sandwich. I love it because it’s crisp without being too hard to get a good bite out of!
Parma ham – an Italian cured ham that is tangy, salty and complements the other components so well.
Burrata – this is a softer, creamier version of mozzarella that adds a luxurious finish to this sandwich. You could use mozzarella if you can’t find any burrata.
Tomatoes – I love to use cherry tomatoes here as I find they sit best in the sandwich, plus take less time to roast. You could use larger tomatoes though, just give them a rough chop.
Olive oil – you do need a generous amount of olive oil here to roast the tomatoes. They are essentially confit in the oil
Pistachio Pesto – the recipe has instructions to make Pistachio Pesto from scratch, which is so good and really simple, since you just whack it all in a blender. It has pistachios, basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. I highly recommend you try it.
Substitutions and Variations
Pesto – Of course, you can use shop-bought pesto. I have done that many times. Just use the pots you get in the chilled section rather than jarred as I find it has much better flavour here.
Ciabatta – Use whatever bread you like but ideally, it should be crisp and fairly firm. Don’t use sliced sandwich bread for example. Try focaccia, baguette or sourdough.
Parma ham – this would also be delicious with mortadella, bresaola, speck, salami or Serrano ham.
Burrata: If you can’t find burrata, your best option is to use mozzarella as they can often be used interchangeably. Both are made from cow’s or buffalo milk, but mozzarella has a firmer texture which can be sliced and shredded without losing its shape – and a more mild and delicate flavour.
You can make a ‘cheat’s burrata’ using one of two hacks:
- Tear 250g mozzarella into small pieces in a medium bowl, pour over 100ml double cream and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine, then cover and chill for a couple of hours – or until ready to serve.
- Tear 250g mozzarella into small pieces in a medium bowl, add 200g crème fraîche and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well to combine, then cover and chill for a couple of hours – or until ready to serve.
Here’s How To Make Burrata Caprese Sandwich:
Below is a step-by-step guide to help you make this deliciously, easy pasta. The full recipe is at the bottom of the page.
ONE: Heat the oven to 200c. Add the tomatoes to a baking dish with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
TWO: Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes until bursting and juicy but keeping their shape.
THREE: Then make the pesto: Toast the pistachio nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until they are a light brown colour. Keep them moving to prevent burning.
FOUR: Add basil leaves, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic clove and pistachios to a food processor. Grind until they start to break down into smaller chunks and combine. You should have a creamy yet slightly chunky consistency. Drizzle the olive oil and continue to grind until you have a creamy paste.
FIVE: Assemble your sandwich. Slice the ciabatta in half and toast in a little oil in a pan until golden. Spread pesto on both sides.
SIX: Spread on the burrata.
SEVEN: Top with ribbons of parma ham.
EIGHT: Top with the roasted tomatoes, fresh basil then top with the other half of the bread. Slice and enjoy!
Cooking Tips
Ribbons of parma ham: Don’t just lay the parma ham flat on the sandwich. Layer it up on itself, so you create these folded ribbons of parma ham (see photo above). This gives the whole sandwich much better texture.
How to store basil: to store any leftover basil, slice the ends off the basil stalks and place in a small glass or mug in around 1cm of water. Take a clean sandwich bag and cover the basil with it, pulling the bag down the glass. Then seal the sandwich bag around the glass/mug. Leave at room temp for a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the components ahead of time. Roast the tomatoes up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving as you don’t want to bite into a fridge cold tomato. The pesto keeps for a week or two in the fridge. Only assemble when ready to serve to avoid it going soggy.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or jar. It should last a week or two. If you want to keep it longer, I would advise adding it to a jar and levelling it out so it’s nice and flat. Then add some olive oil over the top to create a layer that essentially seals the pesto. This will stop it going bad as fast. The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge but once smoothed onto toasted bread, it’ll melt.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you like this burrata caprese sandwich, try my Pesto, Goat’s Cheese, Parma Ham Toast, Grilled Peach Burrata Ciabatta or my Caprese Bruschetta. For something similar but pasta,this Tomato & Burrata Pasta is so good.
Lunch Recipes
Torta Pasqualina
Easy Dessert Recipes
Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
Easy Baking Recipes
Mini Egg Cookies
Easy Dinner Recipes
Asparagus Risotto (Risotto Agli Asparagi)
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Burrata Caprese Sandwich With Prosciutto And Pistachio Pesto
Ingredients
For the sandwich:
- 1 large ciabatta
- 6 slices of parma ham
- 1 ball burrata
For the roasted tomatoes:
- 650 g ripe tomatoes of choice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 sprigs thyme, optional
- salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
For the pistachio pesto (optional – use fresh shop-bought pesto if not making):
- 200 g pistachio
- 10 g basil
- 75 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 1 garlic clove
- 150 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200c. Add the tomatoes to a baking dish with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes until bursting and juicy but keeping their shape.
- Then make the pesto: Toast the pistachio nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until they are a light brown colour. Keep them moving to prevent burning.
- Add basil leaves, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic clove and pistachios to a food processor. Grind until they start to break down into smaller chunks and combine. You should have a creamy yet slightly chunky consistency. Drizzle the olive oil and continue to grind until you have a creamy paste.
- Assemble your sandwich. Slice the ciabatta in half and toast in a little oil in a pan until golden.
- Spread your pesto on both sides and then on the bottom part of the bread, add your burrata, prosciutto, and then the confit tomatoes. Cover with the other half of the bread and slice. Serve!
