Penne with Roasted Pear & Goat Cheese

I have been trying to eat lighter, so I always ask my local vendors “What’s good today?” At a recent trip to my favorite cheese shop, the young lady helping me mentioned enthusiastically that they had just received a great goat cheese from a local farm ~ Granny’s Homestead Dairy. I must say that this cheese has a very creamy texture and a subtle tangy flavor from the goat’s milk.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy goat cheese is with a good, fresh pear. So I eagerly scouted the markets, hoping to find that perfect piece of complementary fruit. However, while it may be a great time of year for goat cheese, it seems the pears aren’t on quite the same schedule. The pears at my neighborhood supermarkets have been a little on the hard side recently—they may look great in the produce display, but are often just a little too firm to eat right away. At least, not without a little help—roasting them in the oven is an easy way to soften them and bring out additional flavor as well.

For a quick one-dish meal at home, I combined some crumbled goat cheese with roasted pears, walnuts, a couple of handfuls of greens and penne pasta. This is wonderful served warm, or as a cold salad the next day. Enjoy!



Penne with Roasted Pear, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Ingredients:
8 ounce pasta, such as penne
2 pears, ripe but firm
1 tablespoon plus 3½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
½ cup baby arugula
½ cup baby spinach
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Slice the pear into thin wedges, leaving the skin on and removing the center core. Toss with one tablespoon of olive oil, coating lightly, then place in baking dish and roast in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, stir again, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into smaller bite sized pieces.

Mix together the remaining 3½ tablespoons of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Cook penne according to package directions. Drain pasta and mix in the olive oil-vinegar-lemon juice mixture, then mix in the chopped pears, arugula and baby spinach. If desired, add a little sea salt to taste. Divide among plates and top with crumbled goat cheese and chopped walnut pieces.

Serves 6

Option: Skip the pasta and just serve with extra greens as a salad.

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George’s notes:

• Goat cheese, sometimes called chèvre, is a cheese product made from the milk of goats. Goat cheese comes in a wide variety of forms, although the most common is a soft, easily spread cheese. Goat cheese can also be made in hard aged varieties as well as semi firm cheeses like feta. Goat cheese is especially common in the Middle East, Africa, and some Mediterranean countries, where the hardy goat survives in areas where cows cannot.
• Goat cheese softens when exposed to heat, although it does not melt in the same way that many cow cheeses do. Firmer goat cheeses with rinds are sometimes baked in the oven to form a gooey warm cheese which is ideal for spreading on bread with roasted garlic, or alone.
• Recent studies show that cheese made from goat milk has more protein than cheese made from cow's milk, and is actually very similar to that of human breast milk.