Heaven on a Plate (or Penne with Goat Cheese-Tomato Sauce)

It seems like I have a pattern of where I find fabulous recipes...Cooking Light or Elly's blog. This is one from Elly, and it was one of the best pastas I have ever made (so said Chad!). It was easy to make, and tasted like it came from a top-notch Italian restaurant. I can't wait to make this for my friends and family!



Penne with Goat Cheese-Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 (4-5 oz) hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I used shrimp because I had some in the freezer)
1 small onion, diced (I used shallots)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
a few tbsp of wine or broth (not necessary but it's good for deglazing)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas (didn't use these as I'm not crazy about peas in pasta)
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (more for garnish if desired)
1 small (4oz) log goat cheese (SuperTarget had a peppercorn goat cheese, so I tried that)
salt and pepper
10-12 oz. penne, cooked

Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When shimmering, crumble in the sausage and saute until browned. (I sauteed the shrimp, then removed and kept warm. I added it back towards the end of cooking). Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms and onions are tender, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute before adding a few splashes of broth/wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits.

Add the crushed tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer to combine the flavors, 10 or 15 minutes. Add the peas and heat through for a minute or two. Stir in the basil and the goat cheese. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the goat cheese has melted into the sauce. Season to taste if necessary and combine with the cooked pasta.

Comments

Elly said…
so glad you guys liked it! shrimp would be great in this; i'll have to try that next time.
Anonymous said…
I'm a pasta girl so I can't wait to have this one.
Anonymous said…
Mmmmmm! I can't wait to make this!
Joy said…
This looks really great! I am a beginner cook, but I think I want to try this. Could you tell me how much shrimp you used? And also when you added it back in at the end? Thanks for any help....