Creamy pasta with baked goat cheese, roasted tomatoes, basil, and a decorative crunchy topping.
# 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)
# Method:
01 - Heat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Place the goat cheese log in the center of the tomato mixture. In a small bowl, blend Parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, and olive oil; sprinkle this mixture evenly over the goat cheese to form a snowflake pattern.
04 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and blistered and the goat cheese topping is golden.
05 - While baking, cook pasta in salted boiling water following package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
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 pine nuts if using. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional basil and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
