A creamy baked goat cheese dish with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and pasta for an elegant, flavorful meal.
# What you'll need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)
→ Tomato Sauce
02 - 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
04 - 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
05 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Goat Cheese Snowflake
08 - 8 oz fresh goat cheese log
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Finish
12 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
13 - 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
# Preparation steps:
01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking.
02 - In a large ovenproof baking dish, toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Place the goat cheese log in the center of the tomato mixture. In a separate bowl, blend Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and olive oil then sprinkle evenly over the goat cheese to mimic a snowflake pattern.
04 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tomatoes are softened and blistered, and the goat cheese topping is golden brown.
05 - Simultaneously, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven. Add hot pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to the dish. Gently stir to create a creamy sauce, breaking up the goat cheese as you mix.
07 - Fold in torn basil leaves and toasted pine nuts if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
