Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

Earlier today I was looking through some old recipes that I had saved and I came across this recipe for rigatoni with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.  Being a member of the Badger Cheese Club with my fellow blogger, April, goat cheese has definitely become one of my favorites so I decided to adapt the recipe I found and try to make it a little bit healthier.

I learned something from cooking this meal, and that is I do not really care for sun-dried tomatoes.  The pasta is still very good though.  The red pepper flakes give the pasta a nice little kick, while the sun-dried tomatoes balance it with sweetness.  The pasta is topped with homemade whole wheat bread crumbs that add some crunch to the creamy pasta.  If I make this recipe again, I will add a little more pasta as the sauce was a little too dense for my taste, but some people may like it that way.

Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

• 4 slices whole wheat bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put bread slices into a food processor and run for about 25 seconds so that crumbs are fine.
3. Spread crumbs onto a baking sheet evenly and cook for about 10 minutes.  Bread crumbs should be golden brown.

(Store unused bread crumbs for future use.)

Recipe from Comfort Food Fix by Ellie Krieger

Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole wheat penne noodles
• 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• 1 cup skim milk
• 4 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare whole wheat noodles according to package directions.
3. In a small bowl, mix whole wheat bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and pepper.  Set aside.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together skim milk and corn starch.  Set aside.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
6. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir for 1 minute.
7. Add milk mixture and nutmeg.  Let simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Toss in cooked noodles and goat cheese.  Add salt to taste.
9. Spread noodle mixture in a baking dish.  Sprinkle bread crumb mixture on top.
10. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!