This is a quick, easy, and elegant dish.  Serve as a main course with a good loaf of bread, or as a side dish.

Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne

goat cheese

arugula,

cherry tomatoes

olive oil

garlic

black pepper

salt

penne pasta

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.


Crumble goat cheese into a large serving bowl.  Add arugula, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.


Drain pasta, and toss with goat cheese mixture.


I thought this recipe was good. I give it 5 stars for being quick and easy to make and 3 stars for overall taste (4 stars overall). Next time I make it (and I will make it again)I will:

(1) Sauté the garlic. I am a huge garlic fan but the fresh garlic taste in this recipe was overpowering and did not mix well with the other ingredients. I think the flavor would be better if it were sautéed for a few minutes.

(2) Add a few more vegetables...perhaps mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. You could even sauté the mushrooms and the garlic together.

(3) Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese. The goat cheese was good but I think the added tang of some parmesan would be delicious.

I re-heated this recipe the next day and it did not work well. It still tasted good, but it was not the same. This is not necessarily a bad thing though! A recipe like this, full of fresh ingredients, shouldn't be saved for leftovers.

Overall, this was a very tasty dish...thanks!


I made some changes:
added pine nuts

sauteed garlic in olive oil first, then added arugula until wilted and coated, before adding to the rest of ingredients.

We really enjoyed it.  Very tasty, and easy.

I LOVE goat cheese, which is how I came across this recipe on the site.  Frankly, I didn't even know what arugula was before making this dish.  I enjoy trying new and interesting things though, so the arugula did not discourage me.  I made it...and it is delicious!  I wasn't sure what to expect of the final result because I haven't made many recipes where you mix a bunch of fresh, cold garden ingredients with hot pasta...but it works!  Delightful!

This was ok. As suggested by the other reviewers, I fried the garlic first. I found the end result to be a little bland. Parmesan cheese helped a lot. I think next time, I will use sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, and maybe add grilled portabello mushrooms.  Still, a great base recipe--Thanks!

This made a fantastic summer meal!  I used spinach instead of arugula, added shrimp and chilled it overnight.

Delicious. Sauteed the garlic in the olive oil along with about six sliced baby bella mushrooms. Poured that over the cheese and arugula and let it sit at room temp for about an hour. Tossed in a handfull of kalamata olives too. Very versatile recipe, I think you could substitute a variety of ingredients depending on what you have on hand: artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, even add shrimp or sausage.

I did not change a thing!  I found Argula at the Wild Oats Store (popular chain) after going to 2 regular grocery stores.  Goat cheese was easy to find..and I do not think it has the same taste as Feta.  I would personally not substitute this.  I love the sharper flavor!  When I served it up...I thought it needed something and I sprinkled on about 1/2 cup of Parmesan and a bit of leftover Mozerella.  This was half way through the meal and everyone liked it better with the additional cheeses!  I added them to my recipe card.  I love the ease and I will make it my way again and again!  YUM!

Wonderful! Changed it a bit . . . I started by sauteing some red onion in some of the olive oil. I added baby spinach to the arugula for a total of 4 cups, which I added to the onions to "wilt." I felt like I didn't have enough greens after that, and added a little more spinach and about 2 more cups arugula to the pasta. My package of goat cheese was 4 oz, so I was a little short on goat cheese - but I don't think it made a big difference. I did add maybe 1/2 cup shredded parmesan. And I used grape tomatoes. Will enjoy this for work dinners for the rest of the week! Yum! (Oh! I did not bother to chopped the greens . . . )

Very good and refreshingly light!!  I adapted this according to my picky husband's taste -- used parmesan instead of goat cheese; sauteed arugula with garlic and whole grape tomatoes and added shrimp to complete the dish.  I'll definitely make this again!

I thought this was really easy and delicious!! I sauteed the garlic in the olive oil while I was preparing the rest of the ingredients. Then just poured it over the cooked pasta. I also covered the top of the dish with fresh grated parmesan cheese - about a half a cup. A good addition. Thanks for a great recipe.

This was so delicious for people who really love goat cheese, which we do! Yum!

Excellent!!  I made it with whole wheat penne.  Yummy.  I also sautéed my garlic for a couple minutes because I don't like to eat raw garlic.  I also saved a little of the pasta water and added that to the dish.

Made it as written, except I subbed romas for the cherry tomatoes. Being a HUGE arugula and goat cheese fan, I figured I'd like it, but it was even better than expected! Be sure to use a good goat cheese, good olive oil, and ripe, fresh tomatoes.. oh.. and don't substitute the arugula if you want full flavor. It has a peppery bite that stands out in this dish.. wouldn't be the same without it. All of these ingredients play a very important roll in getting the best flavor for a recipe like this. Absolutely excellent, thanks so much for sharing!

I loved this! Super easy; knowing the high nutrient content of arugula have been looking for a recipe that my (young adult) son would enjoy. A previous recipe using it wasn't a bit hit but both my husband and son liked this very much.  I used fresh from the garden, grape tomatoes instead of cherry and didn't exactly measure the salt, pepper and garlic... but used about the recommended.  My son did say he would like it better if it had more moisture, so I suggested he ad a sprinkle of flavored vinegar which he did and liked better. I liked it as is.

I was looking for a recipe to use up some wonderful goat cheese I had.  This recipe was suggested to me and I'm so glad I tried it!. The flavor of this recipe is outstanding, and more importantly my husband and teen daughter both loved it (and they think they don't like goat cheese)! I sauteed some sliced baby bella mushrooms that I had on hand with the garlic, and subbed chopped roasted red pepper for the tomatoes. This dish came together in less than 15 minutes total, which is another reason I'm giving it 5 stars! Don't hesitate to make this recipe, it's awesome!

This recipe is great! The only thing I added (per my friends' suggestion) was lemon juice. It really brings all the flavors together :D

Not to bad, the pasta was a little dry, not enough sauce for the. Dish I think. I would make this again and alter the amount of liquids a little.

Excellent!!!!  I didn't have arugula, I just sauteed fresh baby spinach with olive oil and minced garlic until it was wilted, took it off the burner, mixed in the goat cheese until it was slightly melted, then added the tomatoes and pasta.  Like others, I sprinkled Parmesan on it too.  It was REALLY good!

This was really good.  I wanted the arugula to wilt down a lot, so I drained the boiling pasta water over it, in a colander.  It worked very well.  I don't love the strong flavor of arugula, so I liked this recipe, with other flavors.  I did use feta because I don't like goat cheese.  I also used whole wheat penne.

This tasted almost like a gourmet mac 'n' cheese; the goat cheese made it nice and creamy! I used yellow pear tomatoes from the garden and about half the goat cheese (it's all I had), and it was delicious. It actually tasted better as it cooled, and I'd definitely suggest only lightly heating the leftovers; otherwise the tomatoes get too mushy.

This was an incredible meal. My family really enjoyed this even though they are committed carnivores! The way this recipe stands it is perfect. And the beauty of it is that if it doesn't suit your tastes, it is easily adapted to a variety of tastes! My youngest asked me to cut the garlic by half next time, but my eldest loved it the way it was. I thought maybe a few flakes of red pepper might be nice, but my wife would not care for that. We discussed it over dinner and have decided that this one makes it into the family recipe book!

We LOVED this recipe! With good ingredients like arugula and goat cheese it is hard to go wrong. I didn't have any fresh tomatoes so I used a can of diced and it still turned out great. This is a really good vegetarian dinner to put in our rotation. Highly recommended!

This recipe is fantastic! So easy and quick, and delicious. I add some sun-dried tomatoes for a little extra flavor, but this recipe can hold its own.

This recipe is easy, super fast, and delicious. I don't like arugula, so I substituted spinach. I also cooked the tomatoes and garlic for a bit first, and added parmesan and shrimp like some other reviewers suggested. SO good!

Really loved the goat cheese in this. Roasted the tomatoes with garlic before using them, and had it with rosemary/olive oil bread. Delicious!

Rarely do I ever cook the same thing multiple times (so many things to try, so little time) and I frequently visit this recipe.

I prepared this with feta, and it was delicious. It makes a wonderfully simple and elegant dish. Perfect for spring and summer dinners. I sauteed two crushed garlic cloves and removed them before adding the pasta. The peppery greens, which I often find to be a little too sharp for my taste, turned out perfectly. I live in Italy, and my Italian boyfriend makes it clear if a dish works or if it doesn't. He loved it. This will become a reoccurring dish in this Tuscan household. Next time it's goat cheese. Thanks for the great recipe!

Super easy to make.  Used fresh arugula from garden.  Was just a tad too bland.

We enjoyed this recipe but I did find the arugala a little biter.  My husband is a big salad eater so he enjoyed the change.  I'm thinking of either trying to adding some spinach or just doing spinach the next time.  Loved how easy it was to make.  Loved the goat cheese. (I usually use gorgonzola with other salads so this was my first time with goat cheese.)  Will make it again - especially since my husband like it so much.

This was super yummy and easy to make. I sauteed the garlic in the oil first and this worked perfectly. Great as is but I think it would also be wonderful with some crumbled pancetta too.  Will try that next.  Either way, this recipe is a keeper!

yummy and easy to make...I doubled the recipe to make sure there were left-overs :)

We liked this recipe alot. I did add sauteed shrimp, which really added to the flavor. Next time I will saute the garlic and maybe add a few fresh mushrooms and try arugula and spinach

I am giving this a 4 because I made a couple changes (I know, shame on me!), but I was wanting to use up some mushrooms I had on hand.  Plus, I know from previous experience that raw garlic can be very overpowering, so I sauteed the garlic with some sliced mushrooms, and then proceeded with the recipe as posted (oh, I only used a tablespoon or so of the olive oil - but otherwise it was the same!).  My husband gave it two thumbs up.  Just add a simple salad and a glass of wine, and this is a very light and tasty, easily-made dinner after a long day at work!

Very tasty and perfect for warm weather. The peppery bite of the arugula is perfectly contrasted with the smoothness of the goat cheese. Even my extremely picky 14 year old is having seconds. Next time I might add more tomatoes, just because she really likes them. I bet you could put some grilled chopped chicken in this with good results too. Thanks Christine for this recipe!

This was excellent!  I adjusted based on what I had on hand.  I used julienned roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes, sauteed the garlic in olive oil and added sliced baby bella mushrooms to it, adding a bit of white wine at the end as they sauteed.  Wonderful recipe!

Very easy.  Tasty, but wouldn't serve it at a dinner party.

Tried this last night, and it was great! The goat cheese creates a nice creamy sauce thats not too rich and the arugula adds a nice spice note. I added sauteed diced chicken breast with onion and tossed everything together for a fast and easy complete dinner, I'll definitely prepare this again.

Yum, yum!! I just had some Roma tomatoes and they worked just as well. You might try Cypress Grove's Truffle Tremor for the cheese - rich and delish!

Made this recipe last week and it was delicious and a keeper.  Because my husband like to have some meat in his meal, I browned 1/2 pound of ground, mild, Italian sausage and tossed that in just before serving.  He loved it.

This was the first time I think ever that my husband actually said he liked dinner without me asking, and he had seconds!  I used goat cheese with sweet basil and I think it kicked it up a notch.

Excellent! I made it with whole wheat penne pasta for dinner. I think it would also be great for a special luncheon dish, served with a green salad and a glass of chardonnay.

MMMMM...fabulous!  Admittedly, I altered the recipe a bit, but nothing drastic to change the integrity.  After reading other reviews, I did saute the garlic, but did so along with some cremini mushrooms and chopped sun-dried tomatoes (sauteed in some red wine, yum!).  I then added the cherry tomatoes to this mixture and also threw in some shrimp (we were having some soup as a side).  I put the arugula in separate dishes with a bit of the olive oil, then added some fresh parmesan (instead of goat cheese as hubby and I are not too fond), then added the pasta and sauteed mixture to each dish.  This was EXCELLENT!!  This dish is so yummy, the added mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes take it to another level!  DEELISH!

I actually made this is a hot dish, sautéed the garlic in olive oil with the salt and pepper (I probably used about 4 cloves) and added about 3-4 cups of arugula and about a cup of spinach and then added the tomatoes.  I let that sauté until the leaves wilted and then added the goat cheese and melted that until it covered the ingredients.  When the pasta was done and drained, I added that to the sauce and made sure the sauce covered the pasta completely.  This was really yummy on both the first day and heated up.  Thanks for the recipe!

Fantastic! I didn't change a thing and this was truly delicious and so easy. One of my favorites on the site. Thanks for sharing!

sauteed the garlic and tomatoes with mushrooms.  Very tasty.

Loved it! Added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and it tasted great!

We loved this! Next time, we would try with sun dried tomatoes instead, but overall, it was a fantastic flavor. The goat cheese and arugala work so well together.

Holy smokes, this was good.  I used quinoa instead of pasta, sauteed the garlic, and subbed spinach for arugula since it's what I could find.  I went heavy on fresh ground pepper, too.  So fresh and delicious!

Really tasty...The peppery arugula with goat cheese is a great combination. Any kind of pasta will do.

This was absolutely wonderful! I made it with brown rice pasta.

I am a huge goat cheese fan, but even I thought it was a little overpowering in this dish. Next time I will either use half the cheese or twice the pasta. For a healthier version I used whole wheat penne which was awesome. Pinenuts are also a good addition. Every dish needs a little tweaking for me, so overall it was a great and easy dish that my family will have over and over again.

This was very very easy and delicious! I had it cold the next day and it was even better. I also had a baked chicken beast with it and it made a great side!

This was a big hit in my house.  I added a little fresh basil to counter the bitter arugula.

I can't believe how quick and easy this was, yet it is sophisticated enough to serve for company. Delicious too! (For those having a hard time finding arugula, try your local farmer's market if you have one, or a natural foods store.)

This was absolutely delicious but like other reviewers, I sauteed the garlic in a little olive oil before adding it to the mix. This dish combines many of my favorite flavors. Thanks, Christine!

This recipe was a complete success. 

The only thing i would change would be the garlic, either make sure you cut it up into SUPER tiny pieces, or sautee it first. Getting a big chunk of garlic can be unpleasant(not only for you but the people who have to smell your breath afterward).
I also used a mixture of blue cheese, goat cheese and feta. Afterward, I topped it off with slices of grilled chicken breast. This combo turned out fantastic! 
My boyfriend is a real red meat and potatoes kind of guy and he loved it!

Nice and fast lunch. Will make this again. Followed the recipe as stated except like a lot of reviewers I used whole wheat pasta. 

This is absolutely a 5 star recipe!  We belong to a CSA and had a bunch of Arugula to eat.  I followed this recipe exactly as written and it was fantastic.  My husband loved it too!

The goat cheese and arugula were both firsts for us.  I made it in an electric skillet, sauteed the garlic in the oil, then added the arugula for the slightly wilted effect. Then I stirred in the rest of the ingredients and it was great!  We would definitely make it again possibly throwing in some chicken for my husband's benefit.

Used asparagus in place of arugula.  Very good, will make again.

Easy, beautiful, and delicious. Works really well for our family, with both vegetarians and nonvegeatrians able to enjoy. Used baby arugula, and it was great. Thanks very much for the recipe!

I loved this!  I did use asparagus instead of the arugula and i roasted the tomatoes with a little olive oil before adding to the pasta which gave them a deeper, sweeter taste. I will definitly make this again!

This recipe has become a trusted standby since I first made it a couple years ago. Back then, I had some fresh arugula from a CSA and, never having had it before, didn't know what to do with it. This was perfect!!! Fresh ingredients are a must. I usually leave the tomatoes out all together (not a big tomato fan) and it still tastes fabulous. Thank you!

Made this last night - was great for a Meatless Monday dinner.  The flavors go together well.  thanks

Super easy and yummy.  I am making again this week but with roma tomatoes as suggested.

This was really good but the garlic was overpowering. I would saute it next time.  But what a quick, easy, and yummy recipe!

YUMMY! Don't change a thing!(Although I did use wagon wheels instead of penne)

Made it exactly as written.  My husband thought it was only OK, but my 12 year daughter really liked it.  This is an especially good use of slightly wilted arugula that is no longer well suited to a green salad.

This was quick and great. It doesn't reheat very well, but hopefully you won't have any left!

This pasta was DELICIOUS!  As suggested by others, we added mushrooms, which we sauteed with butter and the garlic.  We also replaced the goat cheese with feta cheese.  We will definitely eat this again and again!  A+++

VERY good.  I didn't change a thing.  It would probably be just as good with not quite as much goat cheese.  Definitely a keeper.

If I could give this 6 stars, I would.  Simple and so good.  I followed the directions except I sauteed the garlic with 1/4 cup of pine nuts.  Fantastic.  Thank you so much for this amazing recipe.

This is a very good, SUPER SIMPLE ane FAST pasta dish that is different for a change from the traditional red sauce.  Only warning is to be sure to wash the arugula well! It really holds the dirt/sand and it ruined my dish once.  I make this several times a year.

This was outstanding...my husband complimented with the FIRST bite which is unusual for him.  I was tempted to just use a spring mix but decided to use all arugula and was glad I did, the peppery bite of the arugula was a perfect compliment to the creamy goat cheese and tomatoes. I used a whole wheat/flax seed penne.  I will surely make this again, OFTEN. Thank you!!!

This was pretty good.  I added some parm and fried up a kielbasa and added 3/4 of it into this to make it a little more manly.  Still pretty good.

The flavor was just fantastic...however I have to give it one star off because the garlic was WAY too strong.  My children wouldnt eat it and we are usually big garlic eaters.  Either my garlic was too strong or there was too much for the recipe.  Next time I will 1/2 the garlic or roast it first.

Thought this was wonderful.  I was worried about my goat cheese because it was so soft that it wouldn't crumble, but after the olive oil was added it just made a kind of luscious sauce.  Added, because of previous reviews, small cubes of mozzarella and offered fresh grated Parmesan and grilled chicken for folks to add on top.  Used a regular fresh tomato, chopped, rather than cherry or grape tomatoes.  Without anything more, it made a lovely summer supper for 3-4 people (altho French bread would have been nice with it, too).  Easy to make, and very few dishes to wash.

I made this for a potluck because it was easy to make and held up well over a few hours.  In my pre-run, I learned that pain tomatoes made the overall dish a little bland.  I took the suggestion of sun dried tomatoes and it made a huge difference.  At the party, it was a hit.

Goat cheese has a marvelous tang.  I enjoyed this dish but I may have it without the cheese next time...just to make for lighter fare in summer.  I diced the plum tomatoes and let them 'rest' in a bowl with one garlic clove, chopped in half and olive oil.  Then after an hour I simmered everything.  I added fresh basil and dropped in a bag of arugula/baby spinach toward the end.  I let that wilt down, about 10 minutes and then tossed immediately with the penne.  My grown daughter loved it.

Fabulous! My parents came over last night and I wowed them with this recipe. I had made homemade goat cheese with garlic and chives and found this reciped to use it in. I served it with grilled chicken breast and a crusty bread. I will definately make it again!

This is so simple and easy to make. I brought it as a dish to share at a potluck, and everyone LOVED it! thanks for sharing!

Simple easy recipe with great taste....I modified it to add Blue cheese rather than goat cheese because I had it at home and tossed in a few pine nuts for crunch....
Definitely will do again....

This dish is simple and is amazing.   Added chicken sausage.  Unbelievable!  Highly recommend.

The best salad I have ever had!  Argula was hard to find, but well worth the search for this dish.  The flavors are superb together.  I wouldn't make any substitions unless you cannot find fresh cherry or grape tomatoes.  Firm plum tomatoes work well in that case.  A big thanks to Christine L for this recipe.  I am been serving it at least once a week since I found it!  Family loves it, too!

We make this all the time and find that crushing the garlic in a press helps it blend with the oil and cheese. I also add a little grated lemon zest and some additional oil. For a variation, it's good with fresh raw spinach or even with blanched and chopped broccoli rabe. If you use the broccoli rabe, which is pleasantly bitter, you have to blanch it until tender.

Glad I tried it, probably won't do it again.

Nice for a change of pace for dinner. We used zita, subbed in feta, added bacon and parmesan and the juice from half a lemon. I cooled the pasta first, so it was more like a pasta salad, which my family prefers. Also, sauted the garlic with some minced onion and mushrooms. I know, I made quite a few changes. But it came together fairly quickly and easily. Would make it again.

This was great, especially for the summer!  The only changes I made were to make the mixture the night before and let it marinate (so that the flavors could combine more) and I used spinach (I couldn't find argula).

So easy. I have made this so many times I cannot count. I learned to really love arugula. Have not changed a thing to the recipe.

I thought this recipe was delicious!  The combination of the arugula and the goat cheese was fabulous.

I had everything on hand except the goat cheese so I used parmesean cheese instead.  It came out great!  My husband gave it 4 stars and I gave it 5.  Since I'm the cook I giving it the 5 stars I think it deserves.  Thanks for sharing this simple, quick, excellent recipe.

So yummy! Great with grilled chicken breasts.

Fresh arugula and cherry tomatoes in a creamy, garlicky pasta sauce.

goat cheese and arugula over penne

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Cost: $6.56 /serving

Author : Christine L.

Ingredients

Instructions

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