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Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta

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This tomato goat cheese pasta is simple, fresh, and easy to make. The goat cheese makes the tomato sauce nice and creamy! Ready in about 30 minutes.

If you like this recipe, you'll want to try my Tomato Goat Cheese Gnocchi next.

tomato and goat cheese penne close-up with a gold fork

I thought I'd try something a little different on the blog with this recipe. I don't often cook with goat's cheese, but I figured since it's a well-loved ingredient, I should aim to get some more recipes with it on my website. I sorta have a complex relationship with cheese, but I don't want my readers to be deprived because of it. 😉

The last time I posted a recipe with goat cheese was back in 2016... wow. Here's the recipe for your reference: Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Goat’s Cheese. Update: I also have a Spinach Goat Cheese Pasta recipe now.

This goat cheese pasta sauce is really easy to make. You start by making a tomato sauce base by sautéing the onions and garlic then adding the crushed tomatoes and other seasonings and simmering it for a bit. Stir in the goat cheese and fresh basil, and it's done. I've put this disclaimer in like three places now, but I always try to provide recipe success tips, so here it is: if you're not the world's biggest goat cheese fan, go easy on it. You can always add more to the sauce later on if needed. I think four ounces is a good amount for four servings, but you may feel differently... so build it up gradually. 

tomato goat cheese pasta in two bowls

Tomato goat cheese pasta recipe notes & tips:

  • You can use finely chopped tomatoes (such as Mutti brand offers) if you don't have any crushed tomatoes on hand (they're also fairly thick so it'll give the sauce a good consistency). If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you can, but you may need to do a bit of tweaking/experimenting if you want a thicker sauce because they will take longer to cook down. 
  • I used penne, but feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand.
  • If you don't have any fresh basil, you can still make the recipe, but it won't have that pop of freshness. In a pinch, try subbing dried basil (I'd start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more if needed).

More easy pasta recipes to try:

creamy tomato goat cheese pasta close-up

I hope you'll enjoy this easy pasta recipe with goat's cheese.

Questions? Leave me a comment below.

tomato and goat cheese penne close-up with a gold fork

Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta

This tomato goat cheese pasta is simple, fresh, and easy to make. The goat cheese makes the tomato sauce nice and creamy!
4.96 from 23 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 358 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 4 ounces goat cheese or to taste
  • 8 leaves fresh basil sliced thin
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • For serving: freshly grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
  • In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes over medium heat (ok if it lightly browns).
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (leave them out if you don't want any heat). Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce gently for about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the goat's cheese and basil (the cheese should melt right in and make the sauce creamy). If you're at all unsure about the taste of goat cheese, add it in gradually and taste as you go. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve with the drained pasta (add a splash of the pasta water if you want to thin the sauce out) and freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

  • Goat cheese can be quite strong. If you just want a hint of it, feel free to use half or less than half the recommended amount. I used a 4 ounce soft goat cheese log for this recipe.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 633IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 3mg
Keyword tomato goat cheese pasta
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Ashley says

    5 stars
    New Family favorite! Since I just spent all thanksgiving week cooking my butt off, I didn't really feel like "cooking" tonight. My kids suggested spaghetti but I'm so over spaghetti. I remembered I had left over goat cheese from the Thanksgiving charcuterie board and found this recipe on Google. It was quick and easy and everyone LOVED it! Even my 2 and 6 year olds.

    Reply

  3. Lynn says

    5 stars
    Oh. My. God. This was sublime. My new favorite recipe. It is so easy to put together. The goat cheese adds such an amazing flavor. I made it a main dish by add some sliced andouille sausage and threw in some leftover spinach I had on hand. This is a keeper!

    Reply

  6. Christine H says

    5 stars
    Easy to make. I actually combine this recipe with your Spinach goat cheese pasta to boost the nutritional value and use what I have in my refrigerator. Thumbs up from hubby and son (he”s a vegetarian).

    Reply

  7. Ashley says

    4 stars
    I used this recipe as a guideline and made a few tweaks. Used gnocchi, diced tomatoes in italian seasoning that I blitzed with immersion blender and used a splash of white wine in the sauce. Will definitely try the recipe as written in the future but had gnocchi that needed to be cooked and white wine opened.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I don't recommend it... I think the texture may go a bit funny. You could try if you happen to have some leftovers, but in general, cheesy/creamy sauces don't freeze too well, unfortunately.

      Reply

  9. AngelaML says

    5 stars
    Hi Natasha, I was excited to make this dish. I had only ordered goat cheese at the Tapas restaurant (cheese balls in a honey glaze, I think) so knew we all like it. I checked online and my grocery store had a garlic-herb one that I wanted, but of course I could not find it once I was there. I got a herb chevre instead. Used entire 4 oz. log.

    Followed the awesome commenters advice and added chicken sausage (with sage) and a 5 oz. bag of baby spinach to make it a meal. The crushed tomatoes had basil. Hubby said it had a nice "tangy" taste to it that he really liked. He and son (who like spice) both declined to add the red pepper flakes as it was tasty enough for them. Nice!

    Thanks for the tip on the pasta water, I did add just a little bit to thin out the sauce. Told hubby to add a little more to the leftovers since I know the pasta will absorb a lot.

    Thanks again for another awesome dinner that will be added in to the rotation!

    Reply

  10. Ron P says

    5 stars
    I was very pleased with this. I cut the red pepper flakes in half to accommodate the spice tolerance of my audience, and I used fire roasted tomatoes to add an extra dimension to the flavor. I used one huge clove of elephant garlic, which was probably at least the same volume as three regular garlic cloves, but likely imparted a milder flavor overall. (If I use elephant garlic next time, I might use more.) Otherwise, I followed the recipe closely.

    This is a very easy and fast dish to make, and it produces an impressive, luxurious, rich result. You should make this dish because it is delicious, and not because it is a healthier alternative to a cream based dish. That said, it's interesting to compare the nutritional information for this dish with the same author's "super easy creamy tomato pasta". By using goat cheese instead of cream, this dish has less than half the fat, 50% more protein, and about 20% fewer calories.

    I used a fairly tangy chèvre and the flavor came across strongly in the final result. That's not a bad thing if you love goat cheese like I do, but if you or your guests are new to goat cheese, I suggest starting with one on the milder side.

    As others have noted, I expect this dish will be a great foundation that could support many complementary additions, such as bacon, sausage, chicken, mushrooms, or other vegetables.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thanks for your review, Ron!! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yes, it definitely lends itself to many other additions! 🙂

      Reply

      • Ron P says

        5 stars
        I tried this again with the following variation: I started with two Italian sausages. I removed the sausages from the casing and sautéed them, breaking them apart into fine crumbles. I then removed the sausage crumbles from the pan and cooked the onion in the sausage fat in lieu of olive oil. I returned the sausage crumbles to the pan when I added the tomatoes. I also used a milder chèvre this time ( Île-de-France instead of my grocery story brand). The result was really next level. It took an already good dish into the stratosphere.

        Reply

  11. Kari says

    Hi! This looks perfectly delicious:) Any way I could make this ahead of time and bake it when ready to eat? Or will the sauce get too dry?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmmm... I am not sure to be honest! Do you mean like make it all (including the pasta?). I think it's worth trying, though. I'd say if you're really concerned, make the sauce separately and add a little extra veg/chicken broth to the sauce then cook the pasta and it should be good.

      Reply

  12. Randi says

    5 stars
    YUM! This is my new go-to cheesy pasta recipe 🙂 thank you thank you! super easy to make. i usually just throw in the whole box of pasta and it works out perfectly.

    Reply

  13. Nesit says

    5 stars
    Really tasty and so easy to make! I am so glad I found this recipe because I had some goat cheese that needed to be eaten. I didn't have the crushed tomatoes so I substituted a jar of pasta sauce. Used spaghetti pasta and put it all on top of a pile of fresh, raw power greens. A delicious and balanced meal! Thank you!

    Reply

  14. Lois says

    5 stars
    This was so incredibly tasty!!!! We also added some green pepper since I had one I needed to get rid of, as well as some chicken, and woah, it was amazing.

    Reply

  15. Sheri B says

    5 stars
    Super delicious dish! Easy to prepare, and even easier to devour! I had to share this recipe with family and friends tonight. I will be making again, soon! Thanks for sharing your amazing creation Natasha!

    Reply

  16. Kari T. says

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit with the kids and my husband especially loved it! I also enjoyed it! I didnt have crushed tomatoes so I subbed canned whole tomatoes in tomato puree and just simmered it for a bit (and crushed the tomatoes myself!). It came out perfectly!
    Thanks for a lovely recipe, this one is definitely going to be a new go to!

    Reply

  17. Jude says

    Hello, my local super market doesn’t have soft goat cheese logs.. do you think I could use hard crumbled goat cheese?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! You could definitely try. I haven't tested it or made anything similar, but I think it should still melt. Let me know! 🙂

      Reply

  18. Jody says

    5 stars
    I didn't have basil (and think they would add something nice to it) but it was still really good! Added chicken for a protein, but I think sausage or even spinach would have been great.

    Reply

  19. Traci says

    5 stars
    Made this last night but tweaked just a tad. Used an entire 28oz can of crushed tomatoes and doubled the spices. And just the 4oz of goat cheese. Also added in Italian sausage. Was so tasty! Barely needed any salt, which i liked!

    Reply

  21. Ellie says

    5 stars
    This dish is absolutely delicious! I made it just as the recipe says and added some spicy Italian sausage to mine. It was a hit! And it will definitely be a staple in our monthly dinner line up!
    Thank you!!!

    Reply

  22. Renee Q says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I added fresh spinach to the sauce and let it wilt while it simmered. Big hit and seconds all round until I ran out of pasta. Great for meatless Monday! Thank you!

    Reply

  26. Chiara says

    Made the tomato goat cheese pasta and it was really tasty!!!
    Well, I love pasta and cheese but this is a good combination!

    Reply

  27. Zen says

    5 stars
    This was amazing! I added spinach and mushrooms to the recipe and it turned out fantastic. I’ll be making your Chicken Marsala for my boyfriend’s birthday tonight. Thanks for all the great recipes!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment. 🙂 Wish him a happy bday from me!

      Reply

      • Zen says

        Thanks! The Chicken Marsala was amazing too and I’m now essentially using your website to get through this [...]!

        Reply

        • Natasha says

          I'm so happy to hear that!! 🙂 (I edited your comment because apparently buzzwords associated w. the current events can have a negative impact on search rankings so I’m erring on the side of caution for now).

          Reply

  28. Cindy says

    This looks delicious! I'm a goat cheese fanatic so this suits me perfectly. Also, I love the white bowl! Where did you get it? My mom has been looking for the same ones and I'd love to surprise her on mother's day! Thanks Natasha! Big fan of your blog since forever!

    Reply