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This creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough for a special date night in.
INTRO
CREAMY GOAT CHEESE PASTA
Years and years ago, I used to frequent Michael Symon’s former restaurant, Bar Symon, in my hometown.
It was there that I discovered this pasta recipe. From the first time I had it, I was hooked. The goat cheese sauce was creamy, tangy, and perfectly infused with fresh rosemary, while the chicken made it hearty enough for a main course.
It’s one of those dishes that forces you to instinctively close your eyes and truly enjoy what is dancing around in your mouth. It was love at first bite and I knew I had to find a way to replicate it at home.
I expected to need a long list of ingredients to make such a gorgeous plate of food. I was pretty amazed that it actually consisted of such a short list of ingredients:
- Rigatoni
- Heavy cream
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh garlic
- Goat cheese
- Shredded roast chicken
- Salt and pepper
I know what you might be thinking. No, this isn’t a low-calorie recipe. But sometimes you just have to go a bit decadent, especially for a celebration or a date night in.
HOW TO MAKE GOAT CHEESE PASTA SAUCE
The ingredients are not the only thing that’s simple about this recipe – the prep work is also a breeze.
Sometimes I use leftover roast chicken, but you can make it even more simplistic by picking up a rotisserie chicken from your local market.
To make the goat cheese pasta sauce, pour the cream into a large saucepan and add the crushed garlic cloves and chopped rosemary. Bring the cream to a simmer and let it reduce by about half.
Simmering the cream with the garlic and rosemary in it infuses the cream with way more flavor than just adding them at the end!
Once the cream has reduced, stir in the goat cheese and chicken and let the sauce simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.
When the sauce is ready, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in cooked rigatoni pasta.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS PASTA
The chicken in this Goat Cheese Pasta really helps to make this a dish that can stand on its own as an entree. I like to serve mine alongside a green salad (usually with homemade blue cheese dressing).
If you want some bread, try making buttery Parker House Rolls or grab a loaf of crusty bread and make some Extra Virgin Olive Oil Herb Dip.
If I’m making this for a dinner party or a special date night, I like to wrap up the meal with dessert. Classic tiramisu would be just special and elegant, or you could go with something bright and tart like Lemon Cheesecake to balance some of the richness from the pasta.
If you love goat cheese, I know you’ll adore this creamy, simple pasta recipe!
Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken & Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound dried rigatoni
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 clove fresh garlic crushed
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 2 cups shredded roasted chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add the oil and rigatoni to the water and cook according to the directions on the package, 10-12 minutes.
- While you are waiting for the water to boil, pour the cream into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic to the cream and bring it to a simmer – take care not to let it boil over. Allow the cream to reduce by about half.
- Stir in the goat cheese and chicken and continue cooking cooking it till the cream coats the back of a spoon.
- Thoroughly drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the recipe, can’t wait to try it. Sorry to be a nerd, but it should be “Join Katie and me this week … ” (Take Katie out and you wouldn’t say Join I this week”). Sorry pet peeve.
Made this for dinner tonight, I added portabella mushrooms and a little extra goat cheese (love goat cheese). It was FABULOUS! Husband enjoyed… with left-overs for his lunch. Thanks for making it an easy choice.
Michelle,
The mushroom addition sounds so good! Thank you so much for stopping in to let us know that you enjoyed the recipe. Have a great day and thank you for following MBA!
Jamie
What a great recipe thanks – I love goat’s cheese so any excuse to use it is good for me!
Charlie,
You’re welcome, and I’m with you on goat cheese! Let us know how the recipe goes when you decide to make it. Have a great day and thank you so much for following MBA!
Jamie
Oh my goodness. I didn’t think mac and cheese could get any better, but here we are. This looks fantastic!
Thank you so much! Definitely give the recipe a try and let us know how it goes. Have a great day and thanks for following MBA!
Jamie
This looks delicious! Has anyone tried freezing it? A friend pinned this and I’m wanting to make some of her pinned recipes for her freezer so she has meals after her baby’s birth. I thought that way she would have yummy dinners and tested recipes in one gift. I’d love any feedback anyone has! Thanks!
I mentioned this in an article I wrote about comfort foods. Feel free to check it out!
http://netflixandnutella.com/2013/01/25/comfort-foods-mac-cheese/
I don’t understand the bad reviews here. I made this last night and thought it was delicious! Based on the reviews I use a good goat cheese – Laura Chenel and used 1/2 & 1/2 and cream. I added a good amount of ground pepper as well and don’t skimp on the rosemary either – you need it all. We had it along side french green beans with sliced almonds and a squeeze of lemon and it was perfect. Thank you!!
Lauren-
I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe – it’s actually one of our faves – sometimes, we even add bacon! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving for feedback! Have a great day.
-Jamie
Love the idea of this dish, but not a huge fan of goat cheese. Could you think of any other cheese that would work? Thank you!
Hi-
I think you could play around with substituting in cream cheese; however, I have not attempted this swap so I can’t comment on the actual result. Have a great day.
-Jamie
This looks delicious. My inner grammarian is going a little nuts , though. Simplistic means to reduce to a false simplicity by ignoring complicating factors. I think you just mean that his restaurant and the recipe are simple.