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one-pot

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

A luscious one-pot goat cheese pasta with burst cherry tomatoes, green olives, and fresh basil—ready in under 30 minutes.

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

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Ingredients

Serves17

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

  • 0 count Kosher salt (to taste)
  • 4.25 lb short pasta (such as orecchiette, farfalle, fusilli, or rigatoni)
  • 25.5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for serving)
  • 21.25 clove Garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 17 cup cherry tomatoes (halved, divided)
  • 2.125 cup pitted green olives (chopped (such as Castelvetrano))
  • 4.25 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2.125 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4.25 pinch Crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
  • 25.5 oz Goat Cheese (broken up into small pieces)
  • 2.125 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1.0625 cup Grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • 4.25 cup Fresh basil leaves (torn)
Servings: 17−+
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Cooking Instructions

  1. 1

    Cook the pasta

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente (follow package directions). Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
    Tip: Reserving the cooking water helps adjust sauce consistency later.
  2. 2

    Sauté garlic and tomatoes

    Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in half of the tomatoes, the olives, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, 3–5 minutes.
  3. 3

    Make the goat cheese sauce

    Reduce heat to low and stir in the goat cheese and cream until melted and saucy. Remove from heat, then add the drained pasta, remaining tomatoes, Parmesan, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss until evenly coated. If it seems dry, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time.
    Tip: Taste a piece of pasta; if underdone, return to heat for a minute, stirring.
  4. 4

    Serve

    To serve, top the pasta with extra Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil.
    Tip: For a milder flavor, substitute fresh ricotta or a blend of cream cheese and cheddar for the goat cheese and finish with grated lemon zest.

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Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 25 min · Servings: 17

Ingredients

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

  • count Kosher salt (to taste)
  • 4.25 lb short pasta (such as orecchiette, farfalle, fusilli, or rigatoni)
  • 25.5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for serving)
  • 21.25 clove Garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 17 cup cherry tomatoes (halved, divided)
  • 2.125 cup pitted green olives (chopped (such as Castelvetrano))
  • 4.25 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2.125 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4.25 pinch Crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
  • 25.5 oz Goat Cheese (broken up into small pieces)
  • 2.125 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1.0625 cup Grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • 4.25 cup Fresh basil leaves (torn)

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta — Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente (follow package directions). Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
  2. Sauté garlic and tomatoes — Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in half of the tomatoes, the olives, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, 3–5 minutes.
  3. Make the goat cheese sauce — Reduce heat to low and stir in the goat cheese and cream until melted and saucy. Remove from heat, then add the drained pasta, remaining tomatoes, Parmesan, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss until evenly coated. If it seems dry, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time.
  4. Serve — To serve, top the pasta with extra Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil.