Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
This pasta’s sauce comes together using the same trifecta found in lemon-ricotta pasta: a juicy fruit, a creamy cheese and a salty cheese. This recipe makes good use of those summer tomatoes with juices just barely contained by their thin skins. The creamy cheese is goat cheese, whose tang balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. Parmesan adds salty depth, while herbs and red-pepper flakes complete the dish. For a more filling pasta, feel free to add shrimp, corn or green beans to the boiling pasta in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2pounds very ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1teaspoon fresh thyme or oregano leaves
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
- 2ounces Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated, plus more as needed
- 1pound fusilli or another spiral pasta
- 1(4-ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, thyme, red-pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mash with a fork or potato masher until tomatoes are juicy. Stir in the Parmesan. Set aside while the pasta cooks, or up to 2 hours at room temperature.Step 3
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.Step 4
To the bowl of tomatoes, add the goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir until the cheese is mostly melted. Add the pasta and stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce coats the noodles. Season to taste with additional Parmesan and red-pepper flakes.