For those of you that are shying away from this recipe because of the words, “goat cheese”, you are not alone. I know many people who cringe at the words and refuse to eat anything with goat cheese listed as an ingredient. I don’t know if its because they tried it and didn’t like it or if it’s because it has the word goat in it. But I urge you to give it a try if you haven’t. I was first introduced to goat cheese at the ripe old age of 9 when I went camping with my mom and some of her friends. My first response, was “Mom, I am not eating anything that comes from a goat!” But my mom can be very convincing so after a little coaxing I finally took a bite and I surprise, I LOVED it. For those of you that have never had it, it’s a little tart and a little creamy. One of my favorite things to pair it with is spinach so when I was making a pasta with spinach last week and wanted to add something a little creamy to the mix, I thought to add goat cheese.  In addition to the spinach and goat cheese, I also added some succulent prawns, sweet tomatoes and a splash of brandy. It was a very light pasta, perfect for a warm evening.

This pasta comes together pretty quickly, which makes it great for weeknights. I like to add the spinach at the end so that it barely wilts, followed by the tomatoes. I find that if you cook the tomatoes just slightly, they burst with sweet tomato flavor the moment you take a bite.

I used linguine in this recipe, but you could easily substitute fettuccine, spaghetti or even angel hair.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1/2 pound dried linguine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound (24-30 count) prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles

1. Heat water for pasta according to package directions. Cook until Al-dente. Strain.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic and shallots just until soft. About 3 minutes.  Add oregano, basil, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook 1 minute.
3. Add prawns. Cook 3-5 minutes or until they turn pink. Stir in brandy to deglaze the pan. Cook 1 minute.
4. Transfer strained pasta to the skillet. Toss.
5. Toss in spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese. Cook 3 minutes or just until the spinach wilts and the cheese softens slightly tossing occasionally. Note:  As the cheese melts it will coat the pasta slightly, if you want the crumbles to stay intact, toss them in just before serving.
6. Serve immediately.

Serve with crusty french bread and a cool Pinot Grigio. Enjoy!