Mac 'n' Goat Cheese

I absolutely love goat cheese, so when I found this recipe I knew it was a must try! I am happy to say it did not disappoint. I was not home when Brian tried it for dinner and was excited to get home from work to hear what he had to say about it. I knew it was good but was shocked to hear it was his new favorite pasta dish. I love dishes like this that are soo easy to make and quick but taste very fancy.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound macaroni pasta
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• One 9-ounce bag spinach
• salt and pepper
• 6 ounces goat cheese, broken into chunks (I bought herbed goat cheese and loved the way it tasted)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• Tip: add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper when cooking the garlic if you like things with some heat.

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling water, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente (has a bite to it). Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and return pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach and the reserved pasta water and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir into the pasta along with the goat cheese. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top.