Rye Pasta with a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

Though I rarely eat pasta, preferring instead unprocessed whole grains and legumes, it has proved to be an ideal meal solution on more than one occasion when I failed to plan dinner the night before and found myself with mostly just staples on hand. An added bonus for busy cooks is this dish comes together in about 30 minutes but it tastes exquisite enough to be served at a fine restaurant. The tangy sun-dried tomatoes pair elegantly with the sharpness of the creamy goat cheese. I'll certainly be making this again, and next time I would add some Kalamata olives or perhaps some sauteed mushrooms. You might even consider substituting some balsamic vinegar for the red wine. Serve with a mixed green salad and you will have everything you desire.

Rye Pasta with a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 - 3 jalapenos or hot chilies, finely chopped
5 1/2 ounce tin of tomato paste
splash or two of red wine
6 - 8 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
sea salt to taste

8 - 10 ounces of uncooked pasta (I used organic rye pasta)
3/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 1 1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Reserve the soaking liquid and chop the soaked tomatoes. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for roughly 5 minutes. Now add the garlic and jalapenos (or chilies) to the pan and stir and fry for another minute. Add the tomato paste and cook and stir for a minute or two. Add a bit of wine to the pot, along with the sun-dried tomatoes and spices and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Gradually add the reserved sun-dried tomato soaking liquid, simmering, until you end up with a thick sauce. Add more water if desired. Add the parsley and some salt near the end of the cooking time.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, roughly 10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you use.

Drain the cooked pasta, return to the pot and pour the sauce over the pasta and toss well. Top each serving with crumbled goat cheese.

Serves 4.

I'm sending this along to Presto Pasta Nights, a popular event started by Ruth. The founder is the host this week.

More pasta dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Penne with Indian-Style Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms
Pasta with Goat Cheese and Mixed Mushrooms
Pasta and Feta Cheese Casserole
Penne with Fennel, Tomato and Blue Cheese