Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Creamy, smoky, cheesy, and home-style – that’s the essence of Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta.  A weeknight dinner option that never disappoints! Made with a splash of white wine, this rustic pasta can easily pass as a gourmet dinner option for your guests.

At the end of every summer, I patiently wait until I see locally grown red bell peppers go on sale.  They’re never really expensive at any time of the year, but Lord Byron loves a great deal! I wait for this sale, because I like to make my own Roasted Red Peppers.  We love roasted red peppers and actually prepare quite a few recipes using roasted peppers as a main ingredient, like this Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta!

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Many recipes can benefit from the smokiness and concentrated bell pepper flavour.  And, Dear Reader, nothing is easier than roasting red peppers.  If you like peppers as much as we do, then I do encourage you to make your own.

It’s actually quite fun! Fun?  Yes, fun!  There are very few recipes that require you to burn food.  Roasted Red Peppers require just that! And, with the help of a very hot oven, and a little patience, you can have homemade Roasted Red Peppers any time you please! Here is how I do it.

If you are not inclined to make Roasted Red Peppers at home, the kind you buy at the store in jars is perfectly fine.  In fact, I use jarred roasted red peppers many times during the winter months when I can’t buy local red bell peppers, or if I’m in a big hurry.

PASTA – THE HURRIED MEAL!

Pasta dinners are usually cooked in a hurry. So, do whatever suits you.  (I know I’m going to get hate mail for saying that pasta dinners are hurried, but it’s rather true.  Unless, of course, you’re simmering a tomato sauce from scratch all day long; and really, I don’t have time for that.)

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta is all about simplicity with a little bit of class.  Roasting the peppers adds more complexity in terms of flavour.  Goat cheese is a step up from the every day cheese. Let’s face it, it’s better than packages of shredded mozzarella from the grocery store. Goat cheese is also readily available.  But, what really makes this dish special is the addition of the white wine.

The little bit of white wine you add to this recipe creates a flavour profile that keeps you guessing, what’s in this?  What is that taste?  Is that a herb or a spice?  The alcohol cooks off and it leaves behind a hint of fruitiness and acidity, which are two much needed flavours to complement the smokiness and to highlight the subtle flavour of the goat cheese.

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED RED PEPPER AND GOAT CHEESE PASTA

Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for ingredient amounts. To make the pasta, add the onion and olive oil to a skillet and saute the onions over medium heat until just cooked – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Transfer cooked garlic and onions to a food processor, along with the roasted red peppers, white wine, salt, pepper, and paprika. Pulse until smooth. Add in the goat cheese and pulse 3 or 4 times just to incorporate the cheese into the red pepper sauce.

Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and immediately toss with the roasted red pepper and goat cheese sauce, and the chopped parsley. Serve with extra parsley for garnish.

COOKING PERFECT PASTA EVERY TIME!

Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck we me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules. If you follow these, you’ll have the best tasting Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta possible!

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off, because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water, because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean.

Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Lastly, stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse!

So many of us are tempting to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry a bit, it comes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out!

A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. If you are one of those people that rinses pasta so that it doesn’t get sticky, hold off on cooking it until your sauce is ready. That way, it won’t have time to get stick before you plate it up!

GOAT CHEESE

Speaking of goat cheese, Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to the ingredient.  Are you a goat cheese fan as well?  My daughter loves it and can easily polish off an entire package of it if she were permitted to do so.  I love it too, especially smeared liberally onto really crispy crackers.

If you’re looking for more goat cheese inspiration, try Pistachio Goat Cheese Appetizer, Baked Goat Cheese Dip in Marinara Sauce, or Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza.  All three of these recipes are so delicious and I highly recommend them.

In the meantime, dig into this Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta.  A wholesome and delicious pasta dinner ready in about 30 minutes – assuming you have already roasted the peppers, of course!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!