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Burrata with Spaghetti Squash and Garam Masala

Chris & Pam Willis
Chef Chris Willis’ love for Indian food meets the ubiquitous Italian-American appetizer in this autumnal dish. Garam masala originated in India and is a blend of sweet, hot, and savory spices (think cumin, cloves, and pepper). Willis believes this mixture is best when fresh, so he makes Pammy’s take on garam masala daily. (Store-bought works, too, if you’re in a pinch!
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • CURRY OIL
  • 1 cup tightly packed curry leaves, de-
  • stemmed
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • PAMMY’S MASALA
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons green cardamom seeds husked
  • 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fenugreek
  • ¼ teaspoon whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground mace
  • CHILI HONEY
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 stalks lemongrass outer leaves removed and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1- inch piece fresh ginger sliced into
  • ¼- inch rounds
  • ¾ teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 1 tablespoon cup extra virgin olive oil try Aria, available online or at specialty stores like Formaggio Kitchen
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • SPAGHETTI SQUASH
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • Salt
  • Thyme
  • White balsamic vinegar try Terre Bormane Condimento Bianco, available online or at specialty stores like Formaggio Kitchen
  • ASSEMBLY
  • 6 thick slices of rustic bread
  • 1 clove garlic cut crosswise
  • 6 teaspoons curry oil divided (see recipe)
  • teaspoons Pammy’s masala see recipe
  • teaspoons Calabrian chile powder or ground chili flakes
  • 3 burrata try Maplebrook Farms or a good-quality buffalo-milk mozzarella
  • Flat leaf parsley
  • Pitted taggiasca olives available online or at a specialty store like Eataly. or Nicoise olives
  • Chili honey see recipe
  • Black Hawaiian sea salt or other finishing salt such as Maldon (optional)

Instructions
 

  • ►CURRY OIL: Add curry leaves and olive oil to a high-sided sauté pan and cook over high heat until leaves begin to fry. Gently stir to ensure that all leaves become crispy and translucent. Cool oil and strain. The extra will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
  • ►PAMMY’S MASALA: Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first five ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant. This should take approximately two minutes. Let cool. Grind the cooled spices with the salt until they are fine but not a powder. Some coarse texture should remain. Combine in a bowl with the turmeric and mace.
  • ►CHILI HONEY: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let steep for at least an hour to overnight. Strain, pushing on solids to extract as much flavor as possible. The final consistency should be the same as honey (add water if needed).
  • ►SPAGHETTI SQUASH: Preheat oven to 375°F. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Salt the cut side of the squash liberally and put the two halves in a roasting pan, cut side down, with thyme or any other aromatic herbs you have on hand. Put enough water in the pan to come about ⅛-inch up the sides of the squash. Seal tightly with foil and roast for roughly 20 minutes. The “meat” of the squash should come away from the skin in al dente strands when forked. Transfer the squash to a large sauté pan. Add butter and ¼ cup water; cook over high heat for a few minutes until the squash is well glazed. Season generously with salt and a splash of white balsamic vinegar.
  • ►ASSEMBLY: Grill or toast the bread until well-charred and rub with the cut garlic clove. Place each slice in a shallow bowl or on a plate and douse each one with a teaspoon curry leaf oil.
  • ►Sprinkle a quarter teaspoon of masala and the same amount of chili powder on and around the toasted bread. Cut the burrata balls in half and place one half on top of each toast, pressing down so that it stays put. Top with enough spaghetti squash to perch proudly on the cheese. On top of the squash carefully place 5 or so whole parsley leaves. (They make for a striking contrast against the spaghetti squash and their bitterness is key to balancing the dish, says Willis.) Scatter three or four olives around each “tower,” and circle with a drizzle of chili honey in a circle. Sprinkle each dish with finishing salt.