If you're a fan of fiery harissa paste, you will love this harissa pasta recipe. This harissa pasta is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, coming together in about 30 minutes and full of so much flavour. Plus it uses lots of pantry staples that you probably have on hand. Feel free to use any type of pasta for this recipe. I find mafaldine, bucatini or spaghetti the best options here, but anything will work. You're going to love the combination of slightly sweet sun dried tomatoes with fiery harissa paste. This recipe is completely customizable depending on your preferences.

Ingredients

For this easy harissa pasta with creamy burrata, here's what you'll need. Be sure to see substitutions for more options.

• sliced almonds
• mafaldine pasta
• extra virgin olive oil
• shallot
• garlic cloves
• whole cumin seeds
• tomato paste
• harissa paste
• kosher salt
• sun dried tomatoes
• butter
• burrata
• fresh basil

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a blend of hot peppers, oil and various spices. It's a flavor base for curries and stews, as well as a condiment, in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, according to Middle Eastern food expert Paula Wolfert. The ingredients in harissa vary by neighbourhood, country, and ethnicity. The basic recipe calls for hot peppers, garlic, salt and lots of olive oil. Can you see why it's so tasty now?!

Is Harissa Spicy?

It depends on the brand. Some will be mild and some will be spicy, each jar will state if it's mild or spicy.

This recipe definitely packs a spicy punch. Personally, I didn't find it overwhelming by any means. But if you don't like any heat, then this recipe probably isn't the one for you.

When using harissa, feel free to start with a smaller amount and see how it works. Depending on your taste and spice preference, add more.

How to Make Harissa Pasta

Making this flavourful and fiery harissa pasta is so easy. Here's how to make it at home.

In a small pan, toast the almonds with a small drizzle of olive oil until lightly toasted and fragrant. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, the pasta will cook a little more in the sauce, so don't overcook it.

Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Once hot, add the shallot and cook for two minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant. Add the cumin seeds and stir until fragrant, about one minute.

Add in the tomato paste, harissa, salt and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until everything is softened and the tomato paste is deep red, about two minutes.

At this point the pasta should be done. Add the pasta along with the reserved pasta water (starting with 1/2 cup) and toss very well with tongs to combine. Add in the butter and toss until everything is glossy. Remove from the heat.

Divide onto plates and top with burrata, basil and season with flaky salt/kosher salt and fresh pepper. Enjoy!

Tips

• Add harissa to taste: depending on the spice level of the harissa you're using and your own heat preference, add as little or as much as you like. Always taste it ahead of time if you've never tried harissa, or the specific brand you're trying.
• Use whole cumin seeds: I'm a big fan of using whole seeds when you can. They have more flavour when freshly crushed.
• Use a mortar and pestle to crush cumin: this is the easiest way to lightly crush the cumin seeds to release their natural oil and flavour. You can also use a coffee grinder for spices if needed, but only pulse once or twice if you can, otherwise you'll end up with ground cumin.
• Sun dried tomatoes: if you can, look for sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil. These taste best and it's a healthier oil.
• Don't skip the butter: this helps the pasta become glossy and delicious, so I don't recommend skipping it. A plant-based butter should also work.
• Use tomato paste in a tube: if you can find it, it's often easier to use tomato paste from a tube. This means you can easily store leftovers in the fridge if you're not using the whole tube at a time, like with this harissa pasta recipe.
• Extra creamy burrata: if you want the inside of the burrata to be creamy and very soft, let it sit out at room temperature for a little while before. I usually leave mine outside for about 30-40 minutes before opening it.

Substitutions

• Gluten-free: use any type of gluten-free pasta.
• Dairy-free: you can omit the burrata. I would still recommend using something cooling in this harissa pasta. Perhaps a cashew cream mixed in would work.
• Nut-free: use pumpkin seeds instead.

Serving & Storage:

This harissa pasta recipe tastes best when served fresh and hot. But, if you know you'll have leftovers, here's what to do.

• Keep leftover pasta water in a sealed jar in the fridge to add to the pasta as you warm it through.
• Reheat the pasta in a nonstick pan over low heat, tossing occasionally until just warmed through. Add additional pasta water as needed to loosen the pasta.
• Top the pasta with only the amount of burrata you need and store any leftover in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one to two days.

Which Harissa Paste is Best?

I've tried quite a few brands and here are the ones I recommend.

Personally, I love spice and have used this one from Mina (the spicy one, not mild) and it tastes SO good. I highly recommend it!

I also have used the Trader Joe's harissa paste which is quite good as well, it's not as spicy as others that I've tried, but a great price point.

If you want more spice and heat, this one from El Tounsi foods is delicious and quite spicy (even the mild one!).

More Harissa Recipes

If you're looking for more ways to enjoy harissa, check these ones out!

• Harissa Red Lentil Dip
• Spicy Harissa Meatballs with Whipped Feta Dip
• Harissa Salmon and Orzo with Tahini Sauce
• Harissa Chicken Thigh Lettuce Wraps
• Roasted Harissa Cauliflower Steaks with Lentils & Yogurt
• Turkey & Bean Soup with Harissa

Ready to make this? Let's get to it!

If you make this harissa pasta with creamy burrata please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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