Table of Contents
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD
I’ve brought another super simple recipe to you today.
I needed to use up the leftover pomegranate from my Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Coins I made last month, and this super simple dish came to mind!
I’ve made it before, and as a main dish, I’m really the only one that can appreciate it. It’s too light for my big husband. However, this goes over well as a side dish, which is probably more appropriate anyway.
This dish would make a good side dish for chicken for your meat-eaters. I would probably add something to match the delicateness of this dish: maybe some seared tofu coated in Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese before cooking and some roasted asparagus or green beans.
The Ingredients
Except the pasta water, all of the ingredients are pictured above! Can you believe it?
The first time I made this dish, I just used whatever pasta I had available, and it was pretty good. However, we made a trip to the Dallas Farmers Market and picked up the pictured homemade garlic and toasted onion pasta, which made a world of difference!
I used soft goat cheese and opted for a seasoned version, choosing a garlic and herb version. Plain would also work if you’d rather have more control over the final flavor. I often use this particular product, so I knew what the outcome would taste like.
Again, I opted to buy pomegranate arils rather than the entire fruit. I would rather save time, but for this particular fruit, it would have been cheaper to buy the whole fruit and process it myself. It’s totally your choice!
If you don’t have a pepper grinder, you can get one pretty cheap, as I have pictured above. I wouldn’t recommend using pepper that is already ground in this recipe. It makes a big difference to have fresh cracked pepper. With so few ingredients, every ingredient should be bold!
The Process
Start by boiling heavily salted water. Add pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions.
Save some of the pasta water, then drain.
Add pasta back to the pan, along with sliced goat cheese.
As the cheese melts, the dish will look very dry. Add very small amounts of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce to the desired consistency. I like a thick sauce to really coat the pasta, but you can add as little or as much pasta water as you want. I ended up using slightly more than 1/4 cup.
Once the cheese is melted and the sauce is the consistency you want, add pomegranate arils
Simple Goat Cheese Pasta
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ lb Linguine
- 4 oz Garlic and herb soft goat cheese
- 4.4 oz Pomegranate arils
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
- Add pasta. Reduce heat and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
- Save ~1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Return pasta back to the pot on low heat. Add sliced goat cheese.
- Add pasta water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time as the goat cheese melts. I usually use about 1/4 cup.
- Once the pasta sauce is at the consistency you want, turn off the heat and add half the pomegranate arils and 7-10 twists of the pepper grinder.
- Portion on to separate plates and top with the remaining pomegranate arils and more fresh cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately.
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Mix It Up!
Alternatives:
- Use whole grain or protein pasta to increase the protein content of this dish.
- Add toasted pine nuts or walnuts to add crunch. (I’ll probably do pine nuts next time I make this dish)
- Try different fruits; chopped cranberries or blackberries might do well here.
- Buy crumbled goat cheese instead. It would cut down on melting time for sure.
- Garnish with shredded parmesan or fresh herbs
- Buy plain goat cheese and choose your seasoning yourself!
Sometimes, it’s the simple recipes that turn out the best. You can taste every element of this dish in every bite. It’s easy and quick to make, bold, but easy enough to fit in with the rest of your meal.
Would you try this recipe? What would you do differently? What would you serve this side dish with?
Let me know in the comments!
For more recipes try:
Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant Tomato Stacks
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.