Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta

Why you’ll love it

Goat cheese is a well-loved ingredient. While I normally don’t often cook with it, I’m very excited about this goat cheese pasta. It’s really easy to make, and the distinctive creamy and tangy quality in the velvety sauce is just so tasty. If you like goat cheese, you’re gonna love this.

This is basically a creamy tomato sauce for pasta but upgraded. If you’re wondering what to make with goat cheese, I think you’ll adore this simple tomato pasta with bold flavors. We’ve also included plenty of garlic and basil, and this creamy cheese pasta is ready in just 30 minutes.

What you’ll need

• Pasta – I like penne because it’s a sturdy variety for the creamy sauce
• Olive oil – for sautéing
• Onion and garlic – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions best
• Crushed tomatoes – these are canned at the peak of ripeness, so you get concentrated tomato flavor in the sauce
• Red pepper flakes – they’re optional but add a gentle warmth (not spice, just depth of flavor)
• Italian seasoning – my trusty all-purpose blend of dried herbs! It comes all in one jar.
• Goat cheese – the star of this recipe. I will say that if you’re not the biggest fan, go easy on it. You can always add more if desired! Go ahead and build it up gradually.
• Basil – for a pop of freshness and to complement the tomatoes

How to make tomato goat cheese pasta

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cook your pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the onion in the oil until softened. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant (about half a minute). Add in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.

Reduce the heat, and simmer for around 10 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese and basil until smooth and creamy. Give it a taste, add salt & pepper if desired, and then toss with the drained pasta and enjoy.

Substitutions and variations

• 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.