Move over, TikTok Feta Pasta, there’s a new one-pan pasta in town. This Easy Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta is a one-pan wonder that’s sure to please even the pickiest palate. Creamy goat cheese meets herbed pesto and juicy tomatoes for a truly delicious dish. The best part? This dish is done in under 45 minutes, with just one pan and one pot to clean. That’s a weekday win.
As if being easy isn’t great enough, it’s also a tasty, low-points option for folks on WW (weight watchers).
Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta Ingredients
Similar to the infamous TikTok pasta, this recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and next to no prep work. You’ll need:
- Goat cheese, which will make your sauce super creamy
- Cherry tomatoes, which add flavor and texture
- Basil pesto, which adds a ton of flavor and helps everything bake with its oil
- Garlic cloves, which give an incredible flavor to this dish
- Your favorite pasta! I used whole wheat fusilli, which are tasty and WW friendly (especially on purple).
How to make this dish
The actual cooking part of this dish couldn’t be easier. Seriously, it’s one of those dishes for people who “don’t cook.” It’s as simple as tossing things in a pan, baking, mixing, and eating (the best part).
First, get the right pan. I recommend a larger baking dish – I used a 9×13. You want a big one so that you can easily mix the sauce and pasta in it without making a mess. Next, you want to spray the pan with a little cooking spray so nothing sticks. Put your goat cheese in the middle of the pan, and put your tomatoes and garlic around it. Take 3 tablespoons of pesto and toss/coat the tomatoes and garlic in it, and spoon the remaining tablespoon over the goat cheese. Then, just pop it in the oven at 365F for 35 minutes.
You’ll know it’s done when your tomatoes are starting to burst, your garlic is tender, and the cheese is melted. You should be able to press the garlic/tomatoes with the back of a spoon and have them easily burst/smush. Then, just mix it all together and you’ve got a creamy, dreamy sauce.
Cook your pasta according to package directions, toss in the sauce, and ENJOY! I like to top this dish with some cut up chicken breast or shrimp to make it a filling meal.
Variations and Storage
There are a few ways you can mix this pasta up:
- Swap the goat cheese for feta like the original viral video suggests
- Swap basil pesto for a pistachio pesto (or whatever you love) for a whole different flavor profile
- Add more/less garlic (I believe you measure garlic with your heart, so do what feels right)
- Change up the pasta – any pasta would be great in this sauce, so try em all!
- Go low carb and put this sauce over zoodles
- Make it gluten free by swapping for your fave GF pasta (like Banza!)
To store this pasta, just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps well for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave and enjoy!
Easy Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Medium Pot
Ingredients
- 6 cups Cooked whole wheat pasta roughly 12-14 oz dry
- 1/4 cup Basil pesto
- 4 oz Goat Cheese
- 5 cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 365F
- Spray baking dish, add goat cheese in the center, and garlic cloves/tomatoes around the goat cheese. Spray with a bit of cooking spray.
- Toss tomatoes/garlic in 3 tbsp of the pesto, and put remaining 1 tbsp of pesto on the goat cheese and coat.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until tomatoes and garlic are tender and goat cheese has fully melted.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, set aside.
- Remove dish from the oven, mix goat cheese with tomatoes and garlic, crushed the tomatoes and garlic as you mix to create a sauce.
- Add pasta, toss to coat.
- Top with crushed red pepper flakes, extra goat cheese, parmesan cheese, or extra pesto if desired. Serve warm. Enjoy!
3 thoughts on “Easy Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta”
Just made this for dinner!!! So good and won’t ruin my points for the day. It’s a win win!!
Absolutely amazing!!! I used Protein spaghetti pasta. Very easy to make and incredible taste and texture…the pesto, the grape tomatoes, and garlic really make it very flavorful. The best part is you can add shrimp or chicken for even more protein. You can even add some spinach to it for added nutrients. Very versatile recipe and so delicious!!!
So glad you loved this recipe – I love to add protein as well! Makes for a great meal 🙂