Pasta with cheese (goat) and Spinach

A big bowl of warm pasta often was my go-to on weeknights once I didn't desire cooking. I'd boil it, toss it with vegetable oil , assorted dried herbs and grated Parmesan, and dig in.


Then, I discovered how with just the tiniest bit more effort, I could go from a satisfying bowl of pasta to a dish with deeper flavour and an expensive texture. The key was adding cheese to piping hot, starchy pasta water and giving it an active stir.

These days, almost whenever I boil pasta, I retain the murky water and add a ladle full as a thickener, giving body and a touch of flavour to a spread of sauces, gravies - even soups.

For the emulsion to figure , the pasta water should be piping hot and one should be prepared to feature the cheese to the water and quickly stir until the creamy sauce emerges.

Others cooks retain the pasta water by lifting the noodles out of the pot with using tongs. I like better to place the colander over large cup and pour the pot over, catching the starchy liquid within the container below. I then add the water heater to the pot and reheat, if necessary.

One rookie mistake to avoid: Remember, if you salted or seasoned the water before you boiled your pasta, you're adding that salt or seasoning to your sauce also , so adjust as required .


I added walnuts and crisped bacon to bring a touch texture to the creamy bowl.

Pasta With chevre , Spinach and Walnuts (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients
Kosher salt
450g whole-grain spaghetti or thin spaghetti (spaghettini)
2 teaspoons avocado oil or extra-virgin vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
230g fresh chevre (or cheese of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
280g fresh baby spinach
1 cup (about 28g) fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if desired
3 strips crisp bacon, roughly chopped (optional)
Method

In a large pot of salted boiling water over medium-high heat, cook the pasta about 2 minutes in need of package instructions. You drain reserving 5 cups of the pasta water.
Carefully clean out any residual water from the pot and return it to half high heat. Then add the oil and warmth until shimmering. And also add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
If the chevre is during a log, cut it into about 6 pieces. Add the chevre , oregano and cayenne and a couple of cups pasta water and stir until the cheese is melted and well combined, about 4 minutes. Reduce the warmth to medium. Add the spinach and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is simply wilted, 2 to three minutes, adding splashes of additional pasta water as required .
Remove the pot from the warmth and add half the cooked pasta. employing a large fork or tongs, gently toss until the noodles are well coated.
Add the remaining pasta and repeat until all of the pasta is coated during a thin sauce. Add additional pasta water if the noodles seem too dry.
Transfer the pasta to an enormous serving bowl. Sprinkle it with the walnuts and bacon, if using. Gently toss another time and serve family-style. Sprinkle parsley on top.