Baked pasta with goat cheese

This is one of my favorite weeknight recipes lately. It gets nice acidity from the tomatoes, balanced by creaminess from the goat cheese. The best part is that you don’t pre-cook the sauce. Just throw it all together.

Based on a technique from Martha Stewart.

If an appropriate dutch oven is not available, use a casserole or baking dish with a tight-fitting lid, or cover with aluminum foil.

Adding some cooked nuggets of Italian sausage would be a nice variation.

Serves 2–3.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ziti, rigatoni, or similar pasta
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 ounces goat cheese (log of chèvre)
• 3/8 cup (3 fl. oz.) olive oil
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Dried oregano

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F. In a small dutch oven, combine the oil and pasta and mix to coat. Let stand 20 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and their liquid, and season with salt, black pepper, red pepper, and oregano. Mix thoroughly.
3. Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring every few minutes.
4. Add goat cheese in small chunks, and stir to combine and melt. Serve immediately.