Description
This Baked Goat Cheese Pasta recipe is a creamy, flavorful dish featuring oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and mushrooms combined with soft goat cheese and fresh herbs. The goat cheese melts into a rich, velvety sauce tossed with perfectly cooked pasta, making for an easy yet elegant meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 500 g Cherry tomatoes
- 100 g Mushrooms
- 1 cup Baby spinach
- 1 cup Fresh basil
- 5 Garlic cloves
Pasta & Dairy
- 400 g Pasta (your choice, such as penne or rigatoni)
- 200 g Goat cheese (block)
Oils, Vinegars & Seasonings
- ⅓ cup Olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon for drizzling)
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ teaspoon Chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (plus 1 tablespoon for pasta water)
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (400°F) to get it ready for baking the vegetables and goat cheese.
- Prepare the baking dish: In an oven-friendly dish, combine the cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and baby spinach. Toss these vegetables with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and dried oregano to evenly coat everything.
- Add the goat cheese: Place a block of goat cheese in the center of the dish. Arrange all the coated cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach around the cheese. Then drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the goat cheese and sprinkle the chili flakes and a bit of oregano on top to enhance flavor.
- Bake the mixture: Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and bursting and the goat cheese is warm and softened.
- Cook the pasta: While the baking is in progress, boil the pasta in salted water (using one tablespoon of kosher salt) until al dente, then drain.
- Create the sauce: Once baked, remove the dish from the oven. Use a fork to mash the goat cheese block and mix it thoroughly with the roasted tomatoes and vegetables until a creamy sauce forms.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the fresh basil and the cooked pasta into the baking dish. Toss well until the pasta is fully coated with the creamy goat cheese and tomato sauce.
- Serve: Serve the baked goat cheese pasta hot for an indulgent yet simple lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use your preferred pasta shape such as penne, rigatoni, or fusilli for best sauce adherence.
- For extra depth, consider adding a splash of white wine when tossing the vegetables before baking.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated and gently reheated with additional pasta.
- This dish pairs well with a fresh green salad or crusty bread.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
