Goat Cheese Makes This The Most Creamy Veggie-packed Pasta

I have two goals when meal planning for dinners. Be quick – even a toddler who plays well independently senses when mom is cooking and immediately wants full attention. Secondly, have some emphasis on veggies but it must taste good. Be quick, taste good. This veggie-packed rigatoni pasta with goat cheese recipe checks the boxes.

It’s not complicated. It tastes better than you could get at any chain Italian restaurant. You’ll be eating sooner than you can get takeout and it’ll be cheaper too. It’s a win all around and that’s why it has been a staple in my meal planning for the last few months. The timing for this recipe is perfect because we’re finally getting to see fresh zucchini and carrots showing up in the local farmer’s markets.

The first time I remember having goat cheese in pasta was about 6 years ago while we were dining in Little Italy in NYC. We’d gone for a weekend with my in-laws a few months before we got married and we spent the weekend being touristy and eating all the good food. I ordered a very simple fresh pasta dish with marinara and goat cheese and I was blown away at the flavor combination. Goat cheese has so much flavor and is so creamy unlike the more often used ricotta. Even if you have disliked goat cheese in other ways in the past, I urge you to try it with this dish because it takes it to a whole new level.

I wish I could make this veggie-packed rigatoni pasta for you, but since I can’t here’s the recipe. If you want to save time (or if all you have is a jar of sauce), then replace the whole tomatoes and Italian seasonings with a 25 oz (or similar) jar of pasta sauce.

Trust me, once you start eating, it’s hard to stop.

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Veggie-Packed Rigatoni Pasta With Goat Cheese

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• Author: Meagan Knott
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

A satisfying veggie pasta sauce with rigatoni and topped with creamy goat cheese.

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Ingredients

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Pasta

• 16 oz rigatoni pasta
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp whole milk or original unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 C pasta water (reserved after cooking)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced about 1/4 in thick
• 2 large carrots, sliced diagonally about 1/8 in thick
• 1.2 medium sweet onions, halved and sliced about 1/8 in thick
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes (or a premade sauce)
• 2 Tbsp whole milk or original unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8–1/4 tsp chili powder
• salt
• pepper

Topping

• Goat Cheese

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Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to directions, taking 2-3 minutes off of the cooking time, and making sure that the water is very well salted. Wait to salt until the water has reached a rolling boil. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Place the pot back on the hot stove, turn off the burner, and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the pasta back into the pot. Stir to coat, add the milk and pasta water, stir for a minute or two as the liquid absorbs and then taste the pasta. Add more salt if needed. You probably won’t need to if the cooking water was salted well.
2. Heat a wide pan on medium heat. Once warm, add olive oil and allow to heat until shimmery and warm. Add zucchini, carrots, and onions and sauté until the vegetables are softened but still retaining some level of firmness – about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. If using jarred sauce, add now, and skip to step 4. In a medium bowl, use an immersion blender to process the tomatoes until they reach your desired smoothness.
4. Add the milk, Italian seasoning, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer until thickened – at least 10 minutes but preferably closer to 20. 
5. Taste test and add any extra seasoning as needed – sometimes I undersalt and it tastes bland at this point so I need to add more. If it doesn’t taste very strong or flavorful, keep adding salt!
6. Serve and add a generous scoop of soft goat cheese and mix it into your pasta.

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Notes

This dish also tastes delicious with fresh baby spinach. If using, add right before adding the tomatoes and allow them to wilt before proceeding.

Keywords: pasta, rigatoni, veggies, vegetables, goat cheese