Pasta with Herbed Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Use the chive and garlic cream cheese from Galaxy Foods to create this creamy vegan goat cheese (full recipe below).  This pasta is very similar to one my mom used to serve in the summer - warm pasta, fresh tomatoes, basil, and not much else!  If you don't have cherry tomatoes on hand, any small variety such as grape tomatoes would work too.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
• 6 tablespoons prepared garlic and herb-flavored vegan goat cheese*
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 2/3 cup vegan chicken broth (such as Imagine)

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Note: keep in mind that the thin strands of angel hair (also called capellini) cook much quicker than other pasta shapes - in only about 3 to 4 minutes - so be sure not to overcook.

2. Add the prepared goat cheese, basil, salt, and black pepper to the pasta.  Stir to combine; the goat cheese mixture will melt into the noodles.  It's helpful to distribute the 6 tablespoons evenly about the noodles, so that they disperse as evenly as possible.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the broth and cook for a final minute.  

4. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta mixture, and toss to combine. I liked adding extra sprigs of basil to each serving as a garnish. 

*To prepare the goat cheese, combine 3 ounces crumbled vegan feta (such as Veg Cuisine), 2 tablespoons chive and garlic-flavored vegan cream cheese, 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream, and a splash of lemon juice; mix with a fork until blended.  Use 6 tablespoons for this recipe, and save the remaining goat cheese for another use (it's delicious over bagels or English muffins as a creamy spread).

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (about 1 and 1/2 cups), Calories 372 

Tasting Notes:
Delicious pockets of the herbed goat cheese, and a nice coating of the broth on the pasta, but aside from that, the dish was surprisingly blander than I expected.  I would add a bit more olive oil, or broth - or both - since the pasta was also a touch dry, and an extra pinch of salt.  Still, super-fresh basil and tomatoes, and my only other recommendation is to use more of both.  There's definite potential here, and still a very nice summer supper. 

Rating:
3

Update:
Since I also had a batch of organic grape tomatoes, I made this one more time. As you can see, the two versions are nearly identical:

Except for the oblong shape of the grape tomatoes.