I don’t think I’ve told you that I’m trying to become a dog person. Robby is a dog person in general, and specifically a briard person. He grew up with these dogs, and it’s a given that we’ll have some down the line. I, on the other hand, grew up with the occasional hamster. And some betta fish. I haven’t been certain that the dog life is for me. I mean, they drool, and you have to be home to take them outside and they’re expensive and…
I think he can stop worrying now though. I can say this with reasonable confidence because I tried to write this post at my friends’ place, where it took me twice as long as usual because it was hard to type while cuddling their TEENY TINY NEW PUPPY.
Say hi to Ellie!
It’s inefficient but I’m having a really hard time minding. Also my old cell phone doesn’t do her cuteness justice. Trust me, there’s a lot of it.
What were we here for? Oh, right.
20-Minute Pasta with Goat Cheese, Shallots, and Arugula
One of the things I like best about cooking is the feeling of accomplishment when I invent a meal out of what’s in the fridge. This vegetarian pasta came about when I had most of a container of arugula left and was determined not to let it die the slow death of greens abandoned in the fridge. I grabbed one of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite blogs, and lo! A meal that is fast but satisfying to cook and contains all of the grains, greens, and goat cheese you could want. Vegetarian pasta recipe that still has protein and creamy richness? Yes please.
Speaking of substance, I’ve been trying out different whole-wheat and part-whole-wheat pastas lately. I’ve mentioned that I’m not crazy about the texture of 100% whole grain foods, especially in something like pasta where the texture is essential to the dish. So far the best one I’ve found is Barilla White Fiber Pasta, which is made of regular flour with some whole wheat mixed in. This one’s pretty close to regular pasta (if you have a favorite brand of whole-grain pasta that tastes and feels more or less like regular pasta, leave me a comment! I need all the help I can get). So far Barilla White Fiber is only stocked at my store in the shell shape, which is sort of limiting if you want other shapes. First world problems…
I had to leave the puppy with them, but this delicious pasta can go home with you!
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Recipe adapted from one I’ve been using for probably a couple of years now: 30 Minute Caramelized Shallot, Spinach and Goat Cheese Pasta from the fabulous blog How Sweet Eats.
Print20-Minute Pasta with Goat Cheese, Shallots, and Arugula
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional: 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 medium shallots, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 ounces arugula
- 8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring salted water to a boil for pasta; start to cook per directions.
- While the water is going, heat olive oil over medium low. Add the shallots and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until shallots are soft.
- At some point, the pasta will be ready. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in goat cheese until it starts to melt.
- Add optional butter and garlic to the shallot mix. Cook for another minute.
- Turn off the heat and add arugula. Toss until it starts to wilt.
- Combine shallot mix with pasta and mix well. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top and serve!