This recipe is a reworking of one of my favorite sauces, tomato pesto. Here however I don’t mix the pesto with the tomato sauce but rather top it with dollops of it. Then when you twirl the pasta with your fork it gathers a small burst of fragrant herbs mixed with oil, parmesan and nuts. Add to that the dollops of goat cheese, melting over the warm pasta and you have a truly memorable and amazing dish.
1 lb spaghetti or linguine
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup pesto
¼ cup goat cheese
Cook linguine according to package directions, making sure it is al dente (cooked but still firm). Drain pasta and toss with half the sauce. Divide pasta onto individual plates. Top with additional sauce, and dollops of the pesto. Finnish with sprinkled goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Marinara Sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes (with no added puree – look for brands that use only vine ripened tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to just cover the bottom of the pan
1 clove fresh garlic--finely chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 chicken broth (this is optional, however it adds flavor and liquid to a sauce that may be too thick.
1 sprig of fresh basil (stem attached)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan over medium heat add oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds or until golden. Follow quickly with the tomatoes. Add the basil, lower the heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes until the sauce is cooked (no raw tomato taste) and sweet.
Arugula Pesto
You can make a pesto with almost any herb, not just basil. In fact I feel using basil alone makes it too intense so I usually use basil and parsley for a basic pesto. Using arugula gives this pesto the richly aromatic peppery flavor that is distinctive.
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup basil (stems removed)
1 cup flat leaf Italian parsley (stems removed)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 medium cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the basil, parsley, pine nuts, and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor and process until it becomes a paste. Add the oil slowly and process until incorporated. Pour the sauce into a bowl, stir in the cheese, and season.
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