Rigatoni with Goat Cheese

This dish was the perfect combination of the creamy goat cheese and hot pasta noodles. I love using different types of noodles when cooking Italian food. It gives the dish another dimension when you experiment between all the different varieties. Whole wheat pasta has two to three times more fiber than pasta made of white flour and is also high in vitamin E. The star of this dish was the goat cheese I picked up from Trader Joe’s. I have to admit, it was a little too strong for my liking, but still created a wonderful creamy sauce for the pasta. Because goat milk is leaner than that of cows, goat cheese tends to be leaner as well. Goat cheese is great to use on salads or melting it on cooked dishes. It is also higher in protein than most cheeses, making it a plus when choosing a low-fat cheese.

Rigatoni with Goat Cheese

Serves 4 to 6

• coarse salt and pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
• 1.5 cups crumbled goat cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped or torn herbs

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rigatoni until al dente; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

2. In a seperate pan add olive oil, red pepper flakes and cherry tomatoes until tomatoes are soft, about 3 minutes. Return the pasta to the pot, and toss wiht the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and add some of the reserved pasta water

3. Sprinkle the pasta with Kalamata olives and torn herbs, and serve immediately.