I whipped up this simple recipe last night for dinner. We ate large bowlfuls outside on our back patio with some scrumptious red wine. What I like about this dish is that the heat of the pasta melts the goat cheese crumbles, making a creamy & tangy sauce. I also love the simple, yet complex taste of the fresh herb mixture paired with the buttery wine sauce & sweet heirloom tomatoes.  It’s tastes light AND rich at the same time. How is that even possible? The dangerous part is that it’s hard to stop eating the pasta. Perhaps, you’ll see what I mean….

Let’s get started!

Here’s what you are going to need:

Introducing the Herb Quartet! Tarragon, dill, parsley & thyme.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add shallots and cook until soft/translucent.

Get your linguine going!

Once the shallots are soft, add your white wine and reduce for a couple of minutes.

Chop up all your herbs! Crumble the goat cheese.

Chop up your tomatoes too. You’ll need them at the very end.

Add the goat cheese crumbles into your serving bowl/dish.

Once the wine has cooked down a bit, add  the herbs with some reserved pasta water. Stir!

Your linguine is done! Time to put it in the bowl where the goat cheese crumbles are resting.

Mix the pasta with the goat cheese. Now add the herb butter sauce on top.

Throw in those freshly cut heirloom tomatoes! Give it another good stir. Top with some salt & pepper.

Now it’s time to dig in!!

Casey broke out a 2008 Banshee Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir to drink with our pasta.

It was dreamy.

Herb Butter & Goat Cheese Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes

(recipe Rachael Ray Magazine)

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound linguine pasta
• 8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 2 cups chopped multi-colored heirloom tomatoes