Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes
Dinner, Pescetarian
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces dried orecchiette (or your favorite short pasta)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes
Grated zest of 1 lemon
6 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
One 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
5 ounces (1 small log) goat cheese (see note)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and zest along with the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the artichoke hearts.
Add the pasta to the spinach and artichoke mixture. Crumble the goat cheese over the top and stir in the lemon juice along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Continue stirring until a creamy sauce coats the pasta. If the pasta isn’t creamy enough, add additional pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh basil.