Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken Recipe
A rich and creamy pasta with goat cheese and chicken that's surprisingly light and ready in 30 minutes. The perfect easy, elegant weeknight dinner!
Equipment
- A Large Sauté Pan or Skillet (12-inch)
- A Large Pot
- Tongs or a Spider Strainer
- A Small Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta e.g. rigatoni, penne, or fusilli
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 medium breasts
- 4 ounce soft goat cheese chèvre, log-style, not pre-crumbled
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1 large lemon for both zest and juice
- 1 ½ cups reserved pasta water scooped out before draining
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Get the Pasta Water Going & Prep Your Chicken: Fill a large pot with water and salt it generously. And I mean generously—it should taste like the sea. This seasons the pasta from the inside out. Bring it to a rolling boil. While it heats up, pat your chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels (this is key for a good sear!) and season them all over with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces.
- Sear the Chicken to Golden Perfection: Place your large skillet over medium-high heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, carefully place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. Don't crowd them! You want to hear a confident sizzle. Let the chicken cook without moving it for 3-4 minutes, until it develops a deep golden-brown crust. Flip the pieces and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Use tongs to transfer the beautiful, browned chicken to a plate and set it aside. Don’t wipe out the pan!
- Boil the Pasta & Build the Aromatics: By now your water should be boiling. Drop your pasta in and cook according to package directions until it's perfectly al dente (with a slight bite). While the pasta cooks, reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add another splash of olive oil to the pan. Add your sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, and let them sizzle gently for just 60-90 seconds. You’re just looking to soften the garlic and toast the flakes until that nutty, irresistible aroma fills your kitchen. Pull the pan off the heat if you're worried about the garlic burning.
- The Magic Moment: Create the Velvety Sauce: This is the most important step! BEFORE you drain your pasta, scoop out at least 1 ½ cups of that starchy, cloudy pasta water. Now, drain the pasta. Add your 4-ounce log of goat cheese directly to the warm skillet (which is still off the heat) and immediately add about ½ cup of the hot pasta water. Start whisking right away. At first, it will look lumpy and broken—don’t worry! Keep whisking, and within a minute, it will magically transform into a smooth, silky, luxurious sauce.
- Bring It All Together: Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet with your beautiful goat cheese sauce. Add the cooked chicken back in, along with a big handful of fresh parsley and the zest and juice of your lemon. Toss everything together vigorously. The sauce will thicken and cling to every noodle. If it seems too thick, add another splash of the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the perfect, slurp-able consistency.
- Taste and Serve Immediately: Give it a final taste. Does it need more salt? Another crack of black pepper? A final squeeze of lemon? Now's the time to adjust. Serve it up hot in big, shallow bowls with an extra sprinkle of fresh parsley on top. Enjoy that "wow" moment.
Notes
- Kate's Rule #1: Use the log, not the crumbles. The soft log-style goat cheese is essential for a creamy, non-grainy sauce.
- Liquid Gold: That cloudy, starchy water left over from boiling pasta is the secret emulsifier for a restaurant-quality sauce. Don't dump it!
- To Fix a Grainy Sauce: Whisk vigorously off the heat with a small splash of hot pasta water to smooth it out.
- Best Reheating Method: Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to allow the sauce to return to its creamy glory. Avoid the microwave.