Pasta with Quick Creamy Sauce

By bodanzarama

This recipe comes together very fast. While the pasta water is heating, you can quickly chop, saute, and process a really tasty and creamy sauce using simple ingredients.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. pasta of your choice
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• big handful of fresh parsley (stems too)
• 1 heaping tbsp goat cheese
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 oz. cherry tomatoes
• 2 inch chunk parmesan cheese, chopped
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cucinabodanza.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

While the pasta water is heating, put parsley, goat cheese and parmesan into the food processor to wait while you cook. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat, saute onions, garlic, pine nuts and tomatoes until color comes to the pine nuts and the tomatoes split. As I mentioned earlier, I pull off some of the tomato skins.

Cook the pasta of your choice according to the package directions. I like rigatoni for a sauce like this because the sauce gets trapped inside the pasta.

Pour the tomato mixture into the food processor and process just about 10 seconds. Meanwhile, the large skillet sits and waits. Leave all of that good flavor right in the pan.

Drain the pasta but retain about a cup of the liquid. With the food processor running, slowly thin the tomato mixture with the pasta cooking liquid until you get the consistency you desire. Dump your hot pasta into the skillet and add the sauce mixture. On a low heat setting, toss to combine pasta with sauce while bringing everything up to temperature, re-season with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately.

The sauce is creamy and comforting but not artery clogging. For the whole batch you've used only about 3 oz. of cheese and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and this will serve four.