There’s nothing quite like a creamy pasta. It is the MOST comforting thing on God’s given earth!
Throw in some texture and it becomes N.E.X.T.L.E.V.E.L.
Last week I stood at my IG Stories podium about how roasting your vegetables takes their flavor up tenfold — roasting at high temperatures for a short amount of time helps to concentrate the flavor of the veggies, especially ones with less flavor to begin with. Raw cauliflower isn’t known for making anyone drool.
But roasted cauliflower is legit. Golden brown, slightly sweet, crunchy and savory… now that could make you drool right over your keyboard!
This pasta dish combines the comfort of a creamy pasta with the extra oomph from roasted cauliflower, all with a tanginess from silky goat cheese! I had some ground chicken on hand so I added it in for extra heartiness, but you could easily forgo and be completely content.
So here’s how you’ll put this dish together:
- Roast cauliflower florets for 10-12 minutes.
- Boil your favorite pasta in a big pot, and save the pasta water.
- Brown your ground meat and sauté the shallots and garlic.
- Add everything together and serve!
TIPS FOR MAKING GOAT CHEESE PASTA:
- This meal would taste delicious with or without the ground meat! I had it on hand and wanted to use it, so it made it in the pot 🙂
- You can roast the cauliflower ahead of time, just keep the roasted cauli in an airtight container until you’re ready to use. No cauliflower? Use broccoli as a substitute!
- Use whatever pasta you like for this recipe– we used a gluten-free rotini!
Hope you enjoy this scrumptious, comforting bowl!
Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta we used gluten-free rotini
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into small florets
- 1 lb. ground chicken can sub turkey
- 3 oz. plain goat cheese (3/4 of a half log)
- 1 shallot sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- salt + pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare cauliflower by chopping into small florets and arranging on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with 2 tbs. olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, set a large pot of water over high heat and cover to boil. Once boiling, add 1 tbs. salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions but do not discard pasta water.
- In a deep pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tbs. olive oil then add ground chicken. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and shallots.
- Use slotted spoon or sieve to transfer cooked pasta into ground chicken pot, along with 1 cup pasta water and goat cheese. Stir to create a sauce, adding more pasta water to thin as needed. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Once cauliflower has roasted, gently add to the pasta along with 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature!