Baked Goat Cheese Rigatoni with Shallots, Lemon and Capers

This recipe ticks all the boxes. Low effort, high reward. And, it’s pasta. The oven does all the work—caramelizing the shallots, while the goat cheese and the butter melt down to create a luscious sauce that gets even glossier with that splash of pasta water. Slicing the lemons as thinly as possible renders them tender and deliciously mellowed while still providing that zingy acidity.

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. rigatoni, paccheri or other short tubular pasta
5 oz goat cheese log
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
5-6 shallots, peeled and quartered (about 2 cups)
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
1 cup baby kale
1 cup pecorino, plus more for serving
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a baking dish, add lemons, shallots, kosher salt and black pepper and drizzle olive oil atop. Stir to combine. Nestle goat cheese and butter in center of pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until shallots are caramelized and golden brown in spots.

In the meantime, cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add shallot mixture to pasta pot, along with capers, baby kale, pecorino and pasta water. Stir until sauce is glossy and coats pasta. Serve immediately with more grated pecorino alongside.