Growing up in a large Italian family, I became pretty good at making my share of baked pasta recipes. They were pretty much expected and guaranteed to be at every family gathering since they feed a crowd and are easy to make. A pan of classic Italian lasagna with ricotta sitting alongside a five cheese baked ziti was the equivalent of heaven to my 12-year old self.

heaping portion of cavatappi pasta with tomatoes and goat cheese sauce

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After seeing all the mouth watering videos of baked feta pasta on Tik Tok, I thought about the goat cheese sitting in my cheese drawer. Swapping the feta out for goat cheese could be a game changer.

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Baked goat cheese pasta

While feta is great, it’s crumblier (that’s a word, right?) and doesn’t melt consistently especially when baked. Goat cheese is creamier than feta while also being milder in flavor letting the tomatoes, basil and garlic to shine.

No question —goat cheese would be better than feta. And the creamy sauce would be a stellar addition to my very popular pasta sauce recipe collection.

white bowl with grape tomatoes, wooden tray of goat cheese and a baking pan of cavatappi pasta

If you love the combo of roasted tomatoes and garlic, you’ll love making this Italian couscous pasta recipe. Especially because you can make it in 20 minutes!

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make baked goat cheese pasta:

baking pan of uncooked grape tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves being stirred by wooden paddle with some garlic peels and a knife.
1. Add the tomatoes and peeled garlic cloves to a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.
baking pan of tomatoes with a log of seasoned goat cheese in the middle.
2. Place the whole log of goat cheese in the center of the cherry or grape tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
baked goat cheese and tomatoes in a skillet with a wooden paddle.
3. Bake in a 400˚ oven for 25 minutes and stir the tomatoes and goat cheese sauce together.
stirring cavatappi pasta into a pan of goat cheese tomato sauce.
Toss in cavatappi pasta or your favorite pasta.
baked goat cheese pasta sauce being stirred.
Mix until the melted cheese blends with the sauce from the tomatoes and the roasted garlic.

Grab a fork. Take a bite. And another. Good luck leaving some for anybody else.

Pro Tip

Reserve some pasta water to toss with pasta and make the sauce even creamier.

photo of lori in a kitchen chopping

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heaping portion of cavatappi pasta with tomatoes and goat cheese sauce.
5 from 6 votes

Baked Goat Cheese Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe for baked goat cheese pasta comes together in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love! Inspired by the viral TikTok baked feta pasta, my version of the recipe uses goat cheese instead and pairs it with a fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic sauce. Mix with short pasta noodles (I love it with cavatappi) for a pasta dinner that’s rich in flavor and low in effort!

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Print RATE PIN
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a oven safe baking dish with sides, toss the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil until the tomatoes are coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt , 6-8 whole peeled garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Nestle the cheese in the center of the baking dish. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper
    10 oz log of goat cheese
  • Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the tomatoes are roasted and are juicy and bubbly.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta in sea salted, boiling water according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
    1 lb cavatappi, cavatelli or fusilli dried pasta
  • Remove the baked goat cheese and tomatoes from the oven. Using a spoon, stir the cheese into the tomatoes and olive oil sauce until mixed and creamy. Stir in half of the chopped fresh basil.
    1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Add in the cooked pasta a cup at a time. Add in some reserved pasta water by the tablespoon as needed to make the sauce creamier. Sprinkle over the remaining basil and fresh parmesan before serving.
    fresh thyme, crushed red pepper, pine nuts, parmesan

Notes

Make ahead. To save some time, you can have the pasta made ahead (or even use leftover cooked pasta when you’ve made too much). Run some warm water over the pasta sitting in a colander to loosen it up. Shake off the excess water before tossing with the sauce.
Reheating. Heat the leftovers in a microwave safe dish in 30 second increments with a teaspoon or two of leftover pasta water or chicken broth and stir until creamy.
Store in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Author: Lori Murphy
Like this? Leave a commentI love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @josieandnina and #josieandnina!
woman in a red shirt cutting pizza smiling.

About Lori Murphy

Lori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.

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5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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9 Comments

  2. I cooked this as part of a GF Mothers’ Day Brunch. It was yummy. My wife printed your recipe and plans to add it to “her rotation”. We alternate dinner prep nightly. It’s so tasty and easy to prepare we are negotiating who gets to make it next.5 stars

    Reply

  4. Once again Lori, that is thee best ever, my husband loves you. Seriously 🙂 I love you too . thank you so much Lori.5 stars

    Reply

  5. Another 5 star rating! I made this with the herb goat cheese, delicious!!!!!! I’m excited to make this for my mac and cheese loving daughter in law.5 stars

    Reply