Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Zucchini and Sausage

Wowsers. All I can say about this recipe is yum, yum, yum. Well, I guess I can say a little more. :) My friend Nina came over to make dinner with me and we picked out this recipe. It was a breeze to make and turned out really well. It tastes like macaroni and cheese made with goat cheese. And sausage. And summer squash. Basically: amazing. Go try this!

Also, this seemed like the perfect entry for Presto Pasta Nights, a great blog event that collects pasta recipes each week. So if this recipe makes you hungry for more, why not check out the other entries or enter yourself? The host this week is Kevin of Closet Cooking, and many thanks to the original host of Presto Pasta Nights, Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Zucchini and Sausage (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 3

Kosher salt
1/2 lb. dried rigatoni
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups yellow and green summer squash, cut into 3/4 inch dice
3 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano to serve

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put in the rigatoni and cook until just shy of al dente, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up a non-stick skillet on medium-high and crumble the sausage into it. Cook until almost cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. In the leftover sausage fat, cook the shallots over medium heat until they begin to soften. Raise the heat to medium high and add the squash. Cook, stirring frequently, until the squash is barely tender, 3-5 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 c of the pasta water and drain the rigatoni. Return the pasta to its pot and add the sausage, the squash mixture, and a splash of the cooking water. Toss over medium heat until everything is perfectly cooked, about 3 minutes. Add more pasta water as necessary to keep everything moist.

Remove from heat and add the goat cheese and parsley. Toss until the cheese melts and coats the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with Parm-Regg to sprinkle on top.