BAKED GOAT CHEESE PASTA
Creamy goat cheese, salty olives, sweet tomatoes, crisp warm onions, fresh baked yellow squash and steamy pasta make this baked goat cheese pasta dish the perfect Mediterranean inspired lunch or dinner!
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO
TIPS THAT MATTER
Pasta – You can make this with any sort of pasta, my personal favorites for this dish are penne, rigatoni, bowtie, casarecce, rotini or orecchiette pasta.
Baking Dish – Using a smaller or medium sized baking dish, casserole dish or oven proof skillet or cast-iron pan will work. I have two preferred size’s 1st size 9x13-inch baking dish, 2nd size 8x11-inch baking dish. The more the vegetables touch in the baking dish/cooking process the better the sauce it makes.
Do You Want A Bit Of More Sauce – Reserve pasta water. Add ¼ cup of hot starchy pasta water at a time, into the baking dish and stir. Add as much or as little as you want until you get the saucy consistency you’d like.
INGREDIENTS
1 Log of goat cheese 8 oz.
½ Cup of olive oil
1 Cup of Kalamata olives or any olive of choice, pitted
2 pints of cherry tomatoes 20 oz or 4 cups
1 Medium red onion (cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 yellow squash (cut into 1-inch pieces)
½ Teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon of dried oregano
1 Tablespoon of dried basil
1 Teaspoon of black pepper or to liking
1 Teaspoon of salt or to liking
½ Lb. rigatoni, bowtie, casarecce or your pasta of choice
3 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
½ Cup of fresh basil (chopped)
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
- Add your olive oil, olives, cherry tomatoes, red onions, yellow squash and your dried spices. Season with salt and pepper. Toss everything and then place your goat cheese in the middle of the veggies.
- Drizzle a bit more of olive oil on top and season once’s again with black pepper.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile cook your pasta according to the package. Once cooked make sure to reserve about one cup of pasta water.
- Once baked remove from the oven and immediately add in your minced garlic and a bit of your fresh basil. Mix everything together and then add your cooked pasta.
- If the sauce is to dry then add in ¼ cup of pasta water at a time until you get that saucy consistency that you’d like. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When serving sprinkle, the tops with fresh chopped basil and serve right away!
