Pasta Salad with Warm Goat Cheese
Are you a lark or an owl?
A morning person or a night person?
I had a roommate once who actually had the audacity to get out of bed at the crack of dawn and sing.
Sing!
In a loud, CHEERY voice.
She gave me a rare insight into comprehending violence. Not that I did any…but I understood how one could.
I saw a bit on television once (therefore, it must be true) that humans, devoid of any external stimulation, would have a natural body rhythm of, roughly, 23 hours. Our days would be just a touch shorter than those of the planet we live on.
Apparently I’m not normal in that respect either.
This morning, while sitting in the kitchen having my solitary dinner at about 1 am, I realized that my days were getting progressively longer.
The girls dogs were giving me the evil eye. It was way past their bedtime and they wanted their final walk so they could hit the doggie sack.
I was wondering if I could stay alert long enough to do a few more tasks.
I have always been a night person; mon mari a morning person.
Over the years we have reached a nice balance:
I keep him up late enough that he no longer gets up with the birds (Stupid birds….who decided they should be the arbiter of our rising habits?)
He gets me up early enough that I know longer am starting new projects at midnight.
In the 2 weeks that I’ve been on my own…. We’ll lets just say that my true nature has reasserted itself.
I rather suspect that his will have also.
I’m a ‘Jolt Cola and Peanut M&M’s at 3 in the morning in front of the computer’ type.
He’s a ‘Bran flakes and orange juice at dawn watching the news’ type.
Could be interesting….. Poor dogs!
The one thing that we agreed to early on was the banishment of Velveeta from our lives forever.
Chevre (goat cheese) took a bit longer to insert itself as a pantry staple, but it now has a secure place in the fridge.
If you want a super creamy cheese that melts like a dream…. Choose the real thing!
And then bake it, put it on some pasta, poor a glass of wine and contemplate the universe.
Because I’m in a generous mood this morning, I decided to spread the joy. Mac & Cheese? Never again!
For more pasta wonders check out Ruth’s Presto Pasta Nights, at Once Upon a Feast. Round-up is every Friday.
Breading the cheese keeps it together while it melts. The goat cheese normally comes log-shaped (long, round), and wrapped in paper. It will have a thin rind that is an edible part of the cheese. You could substitute another, semi-soft cheese such as Brie or Camembert.
Pasta Salad with Warm Chevre
4 – 5oz (140gr) goat cheese
3 shallots, medium – large
3oz (100gr) Prosciutto, thinly sliced
4oz (120gr) cherry or grape tomatoes
3 tbs dried bread crumbs
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
4oz (125gr) spaghetti
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tbs olive oil.
Peel and roughly chop shallot. Cut Prosciutto into bite-size slices. Cut tomatoes in half. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add shallots and sauté until starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Add Prosciutto, and sauté 2 – 3 minutes longer. Add cherry tomatoes and heat through. Add vinegar and pasta, and stir/toss to combine. Remove from heat.
Slice cheese into 4 – 6 rounds. Each round should be between 1/3 and 1/2 inch thick (about 1cm). Put bread crumbs on a plate. Roll the edges of the cheese in the crumbs, then dip both sides, so it’s completely coated. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, 400F (200C) for 3 – 4 minutes, just until you see the tops sink slightly or cheese ooze slightly. If it hasn’t happened after 4 minutes, take them out anyway – they’re ready.
To serve: Divide pasta between 2 plates. Top with rounds of cheese and serve immediately.
In case you had any doubts… I am an owl.
Cool note of the day: I saw a gorgeous fox yesterday while taking the girls for their afternoon walk… about 10pm. Maybe he’s the one that ate my snake….
I’m a morning person but when a late evening presents itself…no probs either!
The breading on the chevre looks like you added some corn flour in the mix, a nice, gritty texture.
caffeine and M&M’s in front of the computer screen at 3 am – I thought it was just me. Ithink it’s a requirement for blogging.
Nice recipe.
Now this is something that this lark could sink her teeth into. You had me with even the mention of goat cheese Katie. I am on the computer at 5..that is AM…blogging my little heart out:D
I have managed to have a fairly routine schedule for 29 years of teaching (one to go!) but I’m definitely an owl too, and revert back to it every summer.
Salad sounds delicious!
I’m normally a lark but when My Beloved is away on business I tend to stay up later than “normal,” becoming somewhat owlish. I don’t currently have any dogs to confuse so it works out fine. The cats just saw it as an additional food opportunity!
Oh yes Katie I’d share this with you any hour of the day or night!
Peter, actually just dry bread crumbs… and an herb or 2
TBTAM, great minds think alike….
Val, sometimes I’m still up then, but not often…
Kalyn, nights are so peaceful… all those larks are in bed!
Zoomie, my girls are confused anyway, what with Other Human being gone!
Tanna, okay, I’ll share….but only ’cause you’re nice.
Chevre is my favourite cheese in the WORLD. I could live on that alone (and roll around happily, I’m sure).
I like getting up in the morning, I have to admit. The world is so quiet and feels fresh and full of potential.
Have a good night… 🙂
Heidi
This just happens to be one of my all time favorites……and you have all that delicous chevre right out your door! How wonderful!
I have a hard time with this question I can’t stay up past 11PM but I hate getting up before 8AM but I rarely sleep through the night. I like to think that I would be a morning person if I slept between teh hours of 3AM and 5AM or maybe I am a night person in denial
I really like the sound of a pasta salad with breaded and fried goat cheese!
Thanks for commenting on my chicken salsa recipe! This looks delicious, I can’t wait for my tomatoes to come in so I can incorporate them into something like this.
Warm melty goat cheese is always a good thing!
Lately, and this could be do to age ;)…I can’t sleep later than 6-7am, even when I don’t go to sleep until 2am.
Katie, Another lovely recipe to put in my must try file. I love goats cheese. Glad the fox took care of your snake. And I am a lark but hubby is converting me to owl since I retired. Although I still get up at 5.30am.
I am definitely a lark (without the singing though) and even m&m’s in the middle of the night wouldn’t help me!
The pasta looks awesome. I too, adore goat cheese. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
I’m definitely an up early person. The problem is that I’ve usually exhausted myself by around two in the afternoon!
I too am a lark married to a night owl. But the older I get, the more I’m turning into a bit of both — in a weird way I guess hubby and I are actually spending more awake time together!
Heidi, I like being up at dawn….it’s just that for me, it’s still up, not just up!
Jann, I adore chevre… Can’t believe there was a time when I didn’t.
Shayne, amazingly, what you said makes perfect sense 😉
Kevin, that goat cheese is a bistro staple here!
Kelly, I wish I had my own tomatoes to look forward to – lucky you!
Poppy fields, Yeah, I’ve been noticing that too – except in winter when it’s still dark at 8:30….
Pat, I absolutely abhor getting up in the dark…. and 5:00 is still dark here! (On the other hand it’s light until almost 11:00.
Ruth, most of my family are larks… I’m (as usual) the odd one out!
Pam, another advantage for us owls…
Lydia, strange how that happens, isn’t it? Do we get to a point where we no longer sleep? (I know that’s not true…I have an aunt in her 90’s – 12 hours minimum!)
That would be a wonderful setting to see Carmen in – Spain and a bull ring!
I think your pasta is really delicious! Very interesting how you make warm chevre, rolled in breadcrumbs and then oven baked… I can’t wait to try it.
Tanna, by friend said she was speechless when real bulls came charging in!
Daniela, the crumbs keep all the gooey cheese in….