Make Mine Pasta!

I have a favorite pasta recipe that I've made so many times I have committed it to memory. You can have it in the time it takes the pasta to cook, so say 20 minutes or so.

[Yes, Marlene, you can have this pasta - it came from Cooking Light and I've slightly modified it for carb consciousness.]

Now, it was intended for use with fresh tomatoes. Hello, have you met my overtime, and what about year round? So I immediately determined to use diced, canned tomatoes. And, with it's white flour pasta, it's not exactly the carb police's friend----but, but, but if you use whole wheat pasta, another bullet is dodged. And use Splenda instead of the small amount of sugar added to the dish, and the transformation from yummy light dish to yummy light carb conscious dish is, well, I tried, anyway.

Ingredients:

1 3 1/2 or 4 oz. goat cheese log
1 clove of garlic, minced (queen of quick says buy the can of minced and use 1/2 tsp)
1 can diced tomatoes (I can wax long on the search for the best diced canned tomatoes, suffice it to say my winners are pictured below)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar (Splenda)
8 oz. mostaccioli or penne rigata pasta (whatever whole wheat pasta makes your skirt fly up)
1/4 tsp cayenne (or red) pepper (if you like spicy, feel free to turn up the volume)
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (now, I lurves me some BV, so just know I dump in an eighth of a cup)

Start your pasta cooking according to the instructions on the pasta box. You might want to let the water have about a 3 minute start getting hot before you start the creamy part.

In a skillet, put 2 Tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is warm, add the minced garlic and reduce heat to low. You want to slowly have the garlic turn golden not quickly get a darker brown because the garlic will be bitter. When the garlic is a nice golden color, add the undrained canned tomatoes. ( I used to drain them, but the sauce seemed too thick that way).

Simmer about 6 minutes. While the tomatoes are simmering, add the balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper and sugar/Splenda.

When the tomato mixture has cooked down a bit, add the goat cheese. I break it into sections when I add it to help it incorporate in the tomato mixture. Stir it into the tomato mixture until smooth.

Meanwhile, if your pasta is ready, drain it in a colander. Add it to the pasta mixture and turn off the heat under the skillet.

Gently fold pasta into tomato cheese mixture. This serves 2 very heaping generous servings, or 4 servings with a small salad.

Plate and serve with a lovely Chianti, and congratulate yourself for eating in even though you were so tired from a long day!