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.
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 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:
- Easy Pasta Arrabiata Recipe
- Ridiculously Easy Boursin Pasta
- Chicken Feta Spinach Pasta
- The Best Penne alla Vodka Recipe
- Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Super Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta
I hope you'll enjoy this easy pasta recipe with goat's cheese.
Questions? Leave me a comment below.
Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta
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 (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.
Claire Ducker says
Can this be frozen
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.
AngelaML says
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!
Natasha says
I'm glad it was a hit, and your tweaks sound delicious! 🙂
Ron P says
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.
Natasha says
Thanks for your review, Ron!! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yes, it definitely lends itself to many other additions! 🙂
Ron P says
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.
Natasha says
Yummmmmm
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?
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.
Randi says
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.
Natasha says
That's wonderful!! You're very welcome! 🙂
Nesit says
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!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out for you! You're very welcome.
Lois says
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.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! So glad you liked it, Lois.
Sheri B says
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!
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂 You're very welcome, Sheri!
Kari T. says
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!
Natasha says
That's great!! I'm so glad it worked out for you and that the family liked it! 🙂
Jude says
Hello, my local super market doesn’t have soft goat cheese logs.. do you think I could use hard crumbled goat cheese?
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! 🙂
Jody says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Agree on the sausage or spinach.
Traci says
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!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Natalie says
Quick to make and very delicious!
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
Ellie says
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!!!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Renee Q says
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!
Natasha says
So happy to hear it was a hit! 🙂
Patricia Sween says
So delicious and easy to make. I shared it with "Chef" son.
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Zosia says
Easy to make! Thank you!
Natasha says
Glad you liked it!!
Pamela says
Just made this pasta dish, delicious and so easy!
Natasha says
Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it, Pamela!
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!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! So happy you liked it!
Zen says
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!!
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!
Zen says
Thanks! The Chicken Marsala was amazing too and I’m now essentially using your website to get through this [...]!
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).
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!
Natasha says
Hi Cindy! Thank you! So glad you like the blog. The bowls are from Tagliaferro Ceramics https://www.tagceramics.com/ - I love them. 🙂