Toasted Penne with Goat Cheese
Man, I haven’t made this in a long time.I forgot how much I enjoy the flavors!
Toasting the penne changes it, just ever so slightly, to a nutty sort of earthy flavor and when you combine it with fresh chèvre…oh goodness.
This was the first batch of chèvre I have made this milking season and it turned out perfectly for this dish, a little stronger than I typically make it but it complimented the dish perfectly.
Some time ago my Dad gave me this cookbook, The Seattle Kitchen by Tom Douglass:
I have made quite a few of the recipes from it and what I have made have been awesome, the french toast is to die for. I should use it more often…A lot of the recipe are typical Seattle fare, meaning: Seafood.
Which isn’t readily available in Montana…it’s available, don’t get me wrong, but when you are feeding a crowd of hungry children expensive fish simply isn’t on the menu most of the time.
But I love the cookbook, definitely has some creative and original recipes and great photos 🙂
- ½ loaf of stale french bread, cut into 2 inch (roughly) squares
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon minced, fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 oz log soft goat cheese (chèvre)
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Place the bread cubes in a food processor and pulse until course crumbs form, set aside.
- Place the penne on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Watch it carefully as once the pasta starts to turn it will burn very quickly.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil while the pasta is toasting. Once the pasta is golden, remove from the oven and pour into the boiling water, cook until al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a small pan melt the 2 tablespoons butter and in a large pan melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter.
- In the small sauce pan, place the bread crumbs, toss until coated with the butter and toast until golden, then add the lemon zest and parsley and set aside.
- In the large pan cook the shallots and garlic in the melted butter until soft.
- Pour in the heavy cream and simmer until thick, about 15 minutes. Add the herbs, the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta and pour into the sauce, toss to coat.
- To serve, place pasta in a bowl for each person and sprinkle a little goat cheese on top and some bread crumbs.
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
