I made this goat cheese and tomato pasta on repeat during the end of tomato season when I had a variety of different tomatoes ripening slowing. I used whatever I had that was ripe whether it was tiny cherry tomatoes or a huge heirloom Brandywine.
Now in the depths of winter my garden is long dormant with no tomato in sight and I am craving this creamy and unbelievably easy pasta dish.
I am definitely picking up some grocery store tomatoes to make this recipe in the dead of winter. The tangy goat cheese makes the sauce so creamy and it clings to the pasta so beautifully that I cannot resist!
I always choose either cherry tomatoes or Campari tomatoes when I’m buying out-of-season grocery store tomatoes. These will be the most flavorful grocery store tomatoes to help me reminisce about my summer favorites from the garden.
It’s the middle of January, which means for me that gardening season is only 2 months away! Perhaps I am lucky to both love gardening and live in a place that allows me to do so for so many months of the year.
Ingredients used in this Goat Cheese and Tomato Pasta:
- Tomatoes are the base of the sauce. No need to skin them, this sauce is chunky by design. Any kind of tomato will do, cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces. The amount of moisture in your tomatoes will determine how long the sauce needs to simmer.
- Goat cheese makes the pasta sauce creamy, tangy, and oh so delicious.
- Garlic adds savory flavors while cooking incredibly fast in comparison to other alliums like onion.
- Pasta is the delivery vehicle for the sauce although it could be pilled on top of toast as well.
- Salt brings out all the flavors, just a little will do because the cheese also adds salt.
- Red pepper flake adds just a hint of spice to balance with the sweet tomatoes.
- Thyme adds some additional flavor to keep the dish rounded and not bland.
- ¾ lb mixed tomatoes, about 2 cups
- 5 oz spaghetti
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBS olive oil
- ¼ tsp each: salt, red pepper flake, and dried thyme
- 2 oz goat cheese
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Core any large tomatoes and cut into ½-1 inch pieces. Half any cherry tomatoes.
- Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain.
- Meanwhile add garlic and olive oil to a cold skillet and place it over medium heat. Saute until the garlic is golden. Add the tomatoes, salt, red pepper flake and thyme to the skillet and bring to a simmer while the pasta cooks, about 5-10 minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
- Add the goat cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Toss the cooked, drained spaghetti in the tomato mixture and serve with a Parmesan cheese to taste.
