Adventures

Jun 15, 2008

Pasta with Quick Creamy Sauce - Weekend Herb Blogging

This recipe comes together very fast. While the pasta water is heating, you can quickly chop, saute, and process a really tasty and creamy sauce using simple ingredients.

I had purchased these cherry tomatoes on the vine and later that day heard about the salmonella scare. According to reports I read online, cherry tomatoes and/or tomatoes on the vine were not highly suspicious. To be extra safe I decided to cook them for this dish. I also like to cook them until they split so I can pull off the skins. Here is what you need:

12 oz. pasta of your choice
2 garlic cloves, mashed
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 large onion, diced
big handful of fresh parsley (stems too)
1 heaping tbsp goat cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. cherry tomatoes
2 inch chunk parmesan cheese, chopped
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While the pasta water is heating, put parsley, goat cheese and parmesan into the food processor to wait while you cook. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat, saute onions, garlic, pine nuts and tomatoes until color comes to the pine nuts and the tomatoes split. As I mentioned earlier, I pull off some of the tomato skins.

Cook the pasta of your choice according to the package directions. I like rigatoni for a sauce like this because the sauce gets trapped inside the pasta.

Pour the tomato mixture into the food processor and process just about 10 seconds. Meanwhile, the large skillet sits and waits. Leave all of that good flavor right in the pan.

Drain the pasta but retain about a cup of the liquid. With the food processor running, slowly thin the tomato mixture with the pasta cooking liquid until you get the consistency you desire. Dump your hot pasta into the skillet and add the sauce mixture. On a low heat setting, toss to combine pasta with sauce while bringing everything up to temperature, re-season with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately.

The sauce is creamy and comforting but not artery clogging. For the whole batch you've used only about 3 oz. of cheese and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and this will serve four.
This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, this week hosted by Joanna from Joanna's Food. Joanna, thank you for hosting!

12 comments:

Peter M said...

I love how you stacked the pasta like logs for a fire...or a hungry tummy to be fed!

Kalyn Denny said...

Sounds good. Tomatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese, and parmesan. How could this possibly not taste great.

vb said...

Peter, I do like to camp. And when we camp, we work up big appetites hiking. I'm sure there was a connection when I set up this shot.

Kaylyn, my thoughts exactly. It was a no-brainer.

Joanna said...

Delicious - when I'm in a hurry, I often don't bother to blitz the sauce, but you've made it sound so quick and easy that I'd better stop being that lazy ;)

Joanna

vb said...

Joanna, I just wanted to get maximum coverage on that pasta. And I love using the food processor.

ST said...

Sounds delicious and yummy........

Elizabeth said...

Nice save with the tomatoes!! This looks really delicious.

-Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a definite crowd pleaser :)

ChichaJo said...

This looks and sounds delicious!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm Sophie, Key Ingredient's Chief Blogger. We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks :)

Sophie

Anonymous said...

This has me hungry for dinner NOW! Yum!

vb said...

Kristen, go make this now!

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