Grilled smoky zucchini, creamy burrata, the brightness of lemon juice and zest, the herby notes from the basil, and then an ever so slight kick with the red pepper flakes — you’ve got yourself a well balanced side dish here!

I find myself thinking about the main course/entrée first and then working around that for the side dishes, and let me tell you, this is one that can accompany most main dishes! It’s also REALLY fun and easy to make and requires very little time.

Tips for the Zucchini:

If you don’t have access to a grill, you could certainly roast these in the oven or even pan fry them so they get ever so golden. You don’t want them mushy, however, you just want a nice char on each side.

If roasting in the oven, you can do so at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until desired golden-ness). If pan frying, do so over medium-high heat.

Tips for the Burrata:

I like taking the burrata out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to using so that it can come to room temperature. The reason for this is that when it comes to room temperature you have more of that luxurious, creamy texture as the cheese softens. Cold burrata tends to be more firm and we definitely want the creaminess of the room temperature burrata for this dish. It’ll be a lot easier to work with as well.

(Make sure to not leave it out for an extended period of time to avoid food safety concerns).

Basil or Pesto?

Every time I make this dish I fluctuate between using fresh basil or little dollops of pesto! It all depends on what I have on hand. Either work super great and feel free to use what you have. You could also tear the basil up and sprinkle across the whole dish.