Cherry Tomato Goat Cheese Pasta

Juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, and lots of fresh basil dress up this easy goat cheese pasta that’s ready in only 30 minutes.

30 minute pasta dinners that only call for a handful of ingredients is music to anyone ears, but this dish? An entire freaking orchestra.

Goat cheese and cherry tomatoes are the almighty sauce duo we’re relying on today and shocker, they do their job pretty flawlessly. We’re talking creamy, tangy, with just a hint of sweetness in the sauce coating tender pasta with little bursts of tomato and basil in every bite.

To absolutely no one’s shock, I typically end up eating the majority of this pasta straight from the pot.

There’s nothing complicated about this pasta, friends. You’ll need two pots, one for boiling the pasta and one for building the sauce, a few simple ingredients, and an extraordinarily big appetite for pasta because this recipe makes a metric ton.

And thank goodness for that.

This Goat Cheese Pasta features…

• Creamy, tangy goat cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes
• Tender pasta and lots of fresh basil
• A quick pasta side dish that comes together in 30 minutes with only 8 ingredients

Making the Pasta

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Pasta
• Olive oil
• Shallot
• Cherry tomatoes
• Garlic
• Granulated sugar
• Goat cheese
• Basil

Choosing Your Pasta Shape

This dish works well with a variety of pasta shapes. Penne, elbows, rigatoni, shells, fettuccine, angel hair, and much more works great in this dish, just make sure you follow box instructions for timing to cook pasta to al dente.

Tips for Perfect Goat Cheese Pasta

1. Cook pasta to al dente – the pasta will continue to cook a bit once added to the sauce so make sure you cook it only to al dente to prevent it from overcooking later.
2. Reserve pasta cooking water – a few good splashes of pasta water will help loosen up the goat cheese sauce and make everything super creamy.
3. Halve cherry tomatoes – halving the cherry tomatoes helps them break down faster for the sauce.
4. Add a pinch of sugar – a little sugar helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes.
5. Add fresh basil at end of cooking – a handful of fresh basil at the end adds an incredible herby pop of flavor.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this pasta.

• Make it meaty – browned Italian sausage, cooked diced chicken or turkey, or crispy bacon bits are all great meat options.
• Add vegetables – sauteed baby spinach, mushrooms, sweet peppers, or peas would be great veggie additions.
• Use additional cheese – try adding a handful of grated Parmesan or asiago.
• Try a different fresh herb – try fresh dill, parsley, or chives in place of the basil.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta goes great alongside grilled or roast chicken, pork chops, or salmon. You can also serve it fully as a vegetarian meal by pairing alongside a big green salad/roast vegetables and garlic bread.

For how simple this pasta is, you wouldn’t expect it to be packed with so much incredible flavor but this recipe proves yet again that sometimes simple is just best. The tangy goat cheese works wonders with the sweet cherry tomatoes and all that fresh basil action.

You’re in for one heck of a time resisting going back for that third bowl.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other easy pasta recipes next!

• Artichoke Lemon Ricotta Pasta
• One Pot Chicken Sausage Orzo
• Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta