Farfalle with Pesto, Goat Cheese and Grape Tomatoes

I've never been a goat cheese person, then I ran across this recipe.  I was leery of it at first, I mean it calls for goat cheese, who eats goat cheese?  I decided to be brave and give it a try.  I'm so glad I did.  The goat cheese gives the pasta a nice tang.  The grape tomatoes are a perfect addition, they balance the past out and give it some texture.  This is the perfect summer time pasta.

I'm still not a big goat cheese person but I am now a fan of the type of goat cheese I use in this recipe, chevre.  The recipe itself calls for 4 ounces of "fresh" goat cheese.  Trader Joe's carries 5oz packages of chevre so that's what I use.  (I like chevre on crackers with a little salami now too, yum!)  Trader Joe's a bunch of different goat cheeses too, they only other one I've tried was goat cheese cheddar.  I'm not a fan.  I'll stick to chevre.

This is another Woman's Day recipe, I'm telling that magazine is great for recipes!  Here's a link to the original recipe .

Farfalle with Pesto, Goat Cheese and Grape Tomatoes
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 10 mins
Serves 6

1 lb farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 small cloves garlic, smashed
1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
5 oz fresh goat cheese (chevre)
1 pt grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, using a food processor or blender, pulse the walnuts, oil, basil, garlic, crushed pepper and 1⁄2 tsp salt until finely chopped but not totally pureed.
3. Add the basil mixture, half the goat cheese, and reserved pasta water to the pot; toss to coat. Fold in the tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining goat cheese before serving.

So easy and very yummy!  I typically serve this with some grilled sweet Italian sausage, fresh french bread and a salad.  It's really more of a light summer meal but it's still yummy in cold weather!  It sends me on a mini-summer vacation during cold weather. Enjoy!