When the Mediterranean sun is high and the days stretch long and golden, Italians know that the best meals are often the simplest. This dish, just a ripe tomato, a spoonful of pesto, and a creamy burrata, is exactly the kind of effortless lunch you’d find served on a shaded terrace overlooking the sea. Cool, light, and full of flavor, it’s summer on a plate.

The magic lies in the quality of the ingredients: a perfectly ripe tomato, deeply red and fragrant, a spoonful of fresh basil pesto, and a creamy burrata at the center. It’s proof that when the ingredients are good, less truly is more.

STEP 1

To prepare it, start by peeling the tomato. Make a shallow cross at the base, then dip it into boiling water for about two minutes. As soon as the skin begins to loosen, transfer the tomato into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. The peel will slip off easily, revealing the silky flesh beneath.

STEP 2

Once peeled, carve out a small, round cavity on the bottom side of the tomato, the part where you made the cross. This hidden pocket is where the burrata will rest. On the plate, spread a spoonful of pesto to create a flavorful base, then place another small spoonful into the cavity of the tomato. Gently tuck the burrata inside, letting it settle into the pesto. Now turn the tomato over onto the plate, so the uncut, smooth top faces upward and the filling remains hidden beneath.

STEP 3

The result is clean and elegant on the outside—but one cut through the tomato reveals the rich, creamy center inside, bursting with basil and cream. Serve it just like that, with a glass of chilled Gratsi Red, and let the simplicity of the Mediterranean speak for itself.