This pasta is for the goat cheese lovers! Tomato and goat cheese pasta is the perfect easy, creamy, and sorta-fancy meal. It's tangy and delicious!
As far as soft-cheeses go, I'm a goat cheese girl all the way. I prefer it over feta because I love its subtle tang. The tangy, yet savory flavor pairs so well with cooked down tomatoes and garlic, and it melds together for a such a creamy pasta sauce!
Not to be mistaken with the viral TikTok baked feta pasta, this recipe bakes the tomatoes and garlic, but adds the goat cheese in cold, so it emulsifies into the sauce perfectly.
If you're looking for a vegan-friendly tomato pasta, try my Tomato Coconut Milk Pasta!
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Simple ingredients - Just pasta, tomatoes, goat cheese, garlic, and some oil and seasoning!
- Bursting with Flavor - The tomatoes and garlic are roasted which brings out such a unique sweetness and the goat cheese just makes the flavor burst!
- Versatile - Feel free to add other things to this. Basil, broccoli, chicken or tofu. The options are endless!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Pasta - Use any pasta shape you like! I prefer spaghetti for this, and I used fresh pasta. Any boxed or fresh pasta is fine, and gluten-free works too.
- Cherry Tomatoes - I recommend using red cherry tomatoes, but the flavor will still be good if using yellow and reds. Grape tomatoes can work too, but they may need to roast a bit longer.
- Goat Cheese - I just used plain goat cheese. However, if you would like to use an herbed goat cheese, go ahead! Just make sure it isn't a sweet-flavored cheese.
- Garlic - Whole garlic cloves work best, though you can mince it or slice it if you choose. Do not use jarred pre-minced garlic.
- Olive Oil - For roasting the tomatoes.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Peel film off of the garlic cloves, but leave them whole.
Add olive oil, tomatoes, garlic to an oven safe baking dish.
Step 2: Cook & Bake
Place the baking dish in the oven at 350ºF for 35 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
Once there are about 10-15 minutes remaining on the 35 minute timer, boil your pasta according to box or package instructions.
Drain cooked pasta and reserve a small amount of pasta water, in case you need to thin the sauce later.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Once the 35 minutes are up, the garlic should be soft and the tomatoes should be slightly burst or "deflated" looking.
To the drained pasta in a large pot or pan, add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil that it was cooked in.
Stir to combine with the pasta.
Add in the goat cheese. I recommend crumbling or cutting it into pieces before adding.
Continue to stir until the cheese is all melted and combined.
If necessary, add pasta water to thin.
Add salt and any other seasonings you like. Adjust to taste.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Tricks:
- I recommend using cherry tomatoes. Note that grape tomatoes will work, but may need longer roasting time.
- This is a recipe for goat cheese pasta, however, I believe feta will work too! I don't recommend substituting for anything other than feta though.
- Using a flavored or herbed goat cheese is perfectly fine, just ensure that you do not use a sweetened goat cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Goat cheese is a great melting cheese because it doesn't have the elasticity that mozzarella has and it also doesn't "roast" the way feta would. It melts perfectly in the oven or on a stove.
Goat cheese is naturally pretty tangy, so it goes really well with softer and sweeter flavors. Goat cheese is often paired with honey or blueberries or figs, but also with things like roasted tomatoes.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this tomato goat cheese pasta should last up to 1 week. Always inspect for impurities before eating.
Related Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz Cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 Garlic cloves peeled, left whole
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 4 oz Pasta long pasta recommended
- 4 oz Goat cheese plain
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
- Peel film off of the garlic cloves, but leave them whole.
- Add olive oil, tomatoes, garlic to an oven safe baking dish.
- Place the baking dish in the oven at 350ºF for 35 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
- Once there are about 10-15 minutes remaining on the 35 minute timer, boil your pasta according to box or package instructions.
- Drain cooked pasta and reserve a small amount of pasta water, in case you need to thin the sauce later.
- Once the 35 minutes are up, the garlic should be soft and the tomatoes should be slightly burst or "deflated" looking.
- To the drained pasta in a large pot or pan, add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil that it was cooked in.
- Stir to combine with the pasta.
- Add in the goat cheese. I recommend crumbling or cutting it into pieces before adding.
- Continue to stir until the cheese is all melted and combined.
- If necessary, add pasta water to thin.
- Add salt and any other seasonings you like. Adjust to taste.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using cherry tomatoes. Note that grape tomatoes will work, but may need longer roasting time.
- This is a recipe for goat cheese pasta, however, I believe feta will work too! I don't recommend substituting for anything other than feta though.
- Using a flavored or herbed goat cheese is perfectly fine, just ensure that you do not use a sweetened goat cheese.
Laura
I just made this; so good and easy. I added some fresh spinach to mine right at the end. I will definitely make again!