Angel Hair with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

I don't usually make pasta dishes as a main course, but sometimes it is the perfect thing. The other week my mom and I were preparing her yard for winter, which means hours spent outside raking, cutting, mulching, and lugging tons of yard waste to the compost pile. This can build up quite an appetite. We came in one afternoon just as the rain was beginning to come down, and at that point we decided to have lunch. I had already bought the ingredients for this recipe, so I got started.

This meal comes together really quickly without too much effort. I love goat cheese, so this was the perfect, comforting meal to enjoy on a cool autumn day. Next time I make this I will try it with basil instead of parsley since I tend to prefer basil in my pasta dishes, but the parsley version was still great. My mom and I devoured the entire dish in about 10 minutes (not a pretty sight). I don't know from experience, but I imagine cold leftovers would even be good.

Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 2 to 3

1 jar (8.5 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped and oil reserved
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup white wine
8 ounces angel hair pasta
salt and pepper, to season
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, mix it in, and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and the chopped tomatoes and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the angel hair until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding pasta water to moisten the mixture (I used about 3 tablespoons of the pasta water). Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with goat cheese and parsley and mix to combine everything. Serve immediately. Pin It Now!