What is so special about the pasta water?

When pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water (that is what makes it a little cloudy. And since hopefully you have thoroughly salted your water, at the end of the pasta cooking time you have a starchy, salty water that is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for making or loosening up a light pasta sauce. It's truly magical.

Can I leave out the nuts?

You can! Or you can swap in another kind of nuts (cashews and macadamia nuts are both amazing). You can either leave them whole or chop them up - your choice!

What is grainy mustard?

This is a variety of mustard where the mustard seeds are roughly ground, not pureed into a smooth texture like regular mustard. We find it to be a little milder and perfect for the other flavors in this dish. But if you want to try it with a different mustard, go for it!

Have a question that I didn't cover?

Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!

Goat Cheese Pasta

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5 from 2 reviews

This easy recipe for goat cheese pasta pasta with asparagus together quickly for a delicious supper full of rich flavors.

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup walnuts
8 ounces pasta (any kind will work, but we love fettuccine for this one!)
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature and cut into pieces.
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water. Add the chopped asparagus 3 minutes before the pasta is done, and scoop out a cup of the pasta water before you drain everything.
Return the drained pasta and asparagus to the pot. Add the walnuts, goat cheese, mustard and parsley and drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss with tongs until everything is well mixed and the goat cheese is melty.
Keep drizzling in the pasta water until you have a nice light sauce, then divide among warmed plates and serve!

Measuring Cup

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Notes

- Goat Cheese: You can find this in the fancy cheese section of your supermarket, usually in four ounce rolls (the exact amount we need!). It comes in both plain and flavored varieties…we use plain for this recipe, but if one of the flavored versions calls out to you, go for it!

- Pasta: We use fettuccine, but any long pasta (linguine, spaghetti) will also work just fine.

- Asparagus: Asparagus is available all year long, and is especially wonderful in the spring and early summer when it is in season. Look for asparagus that have dry, tightly closed tips, and when you are chopping it up, leave off the bottom two to three woody ends. Not an asparagus fan or just want to shake things up? Swap out the asparagus for about 9 ounces of baby spinach!