Spring Fling: Radiatore with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese

A delicate pasta combined with a decadent white cheese sauce and topped with the best mixture of fresh herbs makes a wonderful Spring meal. 

It's time for another Spring Fling recipe!  These are my series of recipes that are light and fresh and use the abundance of spring produce we have right now.

One thing about spring that makes me happy is the abundance of fresh herbs we have.  Fresh herbs lend so much flavor to dishes.  They give a dish a bright pop of flavor that you really don't get with dried herbs.  This recipe showcases a mix of fresh herbs beautiful and screams Spring!

RADIATORE WITH FRESH HERBS AND GOAT CHEESE

A delicate pasta combined with a decadent white cheese sauce and topped with the best mixture of fresh herbs makes a wonderful Spring meal.  Cute little radiatore pasta, named for it's radiator shape, is the base.  Goat cheese melted with half and half make this sauce decadent.  To give this a bright flavor we will use lemon along with a mixture of herbs (parsley, dill, mint, and chives) to top the pasta.  What a fabulous Spring pasta dish this is!

This is the perfect dish to serve for lunch or dinner, eating alfresco, along with some crusty Italian bread and a glass of white wine.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate Spring.

Enjoy!



Radiatore with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese


serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound radiatore pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 cup half-and-half
6 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1 cup grated Parmensan Romano cheese mix
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until al dente according to the package instructions, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and whisk in the goat cheese until smooth and warm. Season with pepper. Add the lemon zest and juice and half of the reserved pasta water and whisk until combined. Add half of the parsley, dill, mint and chives.

Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir to combine. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the remaining pasta water if needed. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Divide the pasta among bowls and garnish with the remaining cheese and herbs.