Quick Look: Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Ingredients: Only 7 simple ingredients
- Cheese Used: Soft goat cheese only
- Sauce: Butter + pasta water + goat cheese (no milk or flour)
- Pasta: Cavatappi (or any short pasta)
- Optional Veg: We included an optional roasted broccoli to round out this dish
- Perfect For: Easy weeknight vegetarian dinners
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Looking for More Goat Cheese Recipes?
If you love goat cheese as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Baked Goat Cheese + Hot Honey or this Goat Cheese Omelette!
What You Will Need
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- broccoli – one of our all-time favorite fresh vegetables, just pick some up at your local grocery store! This part of the recipe is totally optional – I added it to just round it out to be a whole meal so feel free to omit.
- cavatappi noodles – any type of short/small noodles would work in this easy recipe, including gluten-free noodles.
- butter or ghee – feel free to use the one that works best for you. You could also use a plant-based butter if you preferred.
- soft goat cheese – absolutely love this salty cheese – it melts perfectly when mixed with hot pasta water!
How To Make Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese
Step 1: If you are making the broccoli (totally optional) toss with oil and salt and place in a preheated oven.
Step 2: Cook your pasta of choice to al dente, according to the package directions. Be sure to reserve some pasta water and then drain the cooked noodles.
Step 3: Add butter and goat cheese to the same pot you cooked the pasta in.
Step 4: Pour in the reserved pasta water.
Step 5: Whisk to combine and make a creamy sauce.
Step 6: Add cooked pasta back to the hot pot and stir.
Step 7: Toss the roasted broccoli in the noodle mixture and toss it all together (if making). Option to add more pasta water, if desired.
Step 8: Continue stirring as the pasta soaks up the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Why This Goat Cheese Sauce Works
Instead of making a traditional roux with butter, flour, and milk, this recipe relies on reserved pasta water. The starch from the pasta water combines with melted butter and soft goat cheese to create a surprisingly creamy sauce that coats the noodles beautifully. It’s quicker, uses fewer ingredients, and lets the tangy flavor of the goat cheese really shine.
Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese FAQs
- Does goat cheese make mac and cheese taste strong? Not really. Goat cheese gives the sauce a creamy texture with a mild tangy flavor, but it shouldn’t taste overpowering when tossed with pasta and broccoli.
- Why do you save the pasta water? The starch in the pasta water helps emulsify the butter and goat cheese into a silky, creamy sauce without needing milk or flour.
- Pasta Shape: Feel free to use a different type of pasta than cavatappi – just ensure whatever you use, cook it to al dente and don’t forget to reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before draining the rest!
- Gluten-Free: You can definitely use gluten-free noodles! Jovial is my favorite gluten-free pasta brand.
- Broccolini: Option to make roasted broccolini instead of regular broccoli!
- Leftovers: Makes great leftovers! Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You might need to add a little melted butter, unsweetened almond milk or even little vegetable broth to help bring it back to life!
- Protein: If you are looking for a protein – serve with some grilled chicken breast or grilled chicken thighs!
Other Goat Cheese Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12-15 ounces cavatappi noodles
- 8 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into small chunks*
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks (sub ghee)
- pinch kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Roast Broccoli: Put 1 pound fresh broccoli florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt; massage oil into the broccoli. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly charred.
- Cook Pasta (reserve pasta water!): Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 12-15 ounces cavatappi noodles to the boiling water and cook to al dente, according to the package directions. Save 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. Drain remaining pasta water and leave the noodles in the colander.
- Sauce: In the same pot that you cooked the pasta in, combine 8 ounces soft goat cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup hot pasta water, and a pinch kosher salt and ground black pepper. Let melt and whisk until everything is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Combine: Add the cooked noodles back into the pot and stir. Then the cooked broccoli and toss again.
- Additional Water: Option to add remaining ½ cup of pasta water, as needed, to smooth out the sauce.
- Taste + Adjust: Give it a taste and add any additional salt or pepper, if desired.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- *Soft Goat Cheese: key here is to use soft goat cheese (and not a block of goat cheese) – I like brands like The Humble Goat or Montchevre – but really any soft goat cheese will do!
- Pasta: Feel free to use a different typo of pasta than cavatappi – just ensure whatever you use cook it al dente and don’t forget to reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before draining the rest!
- Gluten-Free: You can definitely use gluten-free noodles!
- Leftovers: Makes great leftovers! Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You might need to add a little melted butter, unsweetened almond milk or even little vegetable broth to help bring it back to life!
Vickie says
Delicious and creamy!!
Zara says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I am curious what cheese is best to use in your opinion? There is such a wide range of goat cheeses these days I can only imagine some would probably melt down better than the others. Maybe not.
Erin says
Hi Zara – so I would use a soft goat cheese similar to the Montchevre brand or Happy Farms – those soft 8oz packages seems to work the best!
Nikki says
I love Pasta. I tried more than 10 combination of pasta but I think you shared unique one plus healthy. I’ll try for sure.
Aleah says
I made this last night, and it was soooo yummy!!! My 3,& 5 year olds loved it and my husband couldn’t get enough of it either! Yum!! I think this is my new favorite lazy night meal!! Why did I never think of goat cheese mac n cheese?! I gave up diary & this is FINALLY just S good as when I liked dairy. 🙌🏼 Thanks!!!
Erin says
Hi Aleah! That makes me SO happy to hear! Thank you for taking the time leave your feedback – it means a lot!
Gayle Wheeler says
On my menu this weekend!
Erin says
Yay!!! So excited for you to try it! 🙂
Kathleen says
Goat Cheese AND Mac and Cheese. Two of my favorite things in the whole world!
Erin says
Yay!!! Mine too, Kathleen! 🙂