Favorite Recipes From Fill Your Plate Moms: Pasta & Goat Cheese

Editor’s Note: We’ve asked some of our Fill Your Plate “Moms” to share some of their favorite recipes, especially those that can fill up the family and do it in a healthy way!

So, one of our first Moms to submit is Leysa Rought of Winkelman, Arizona. Her family moved to the small mining community in 1980. A real estate agent for Weichert, Realtors-Lake Realty in Gold Canyon (yes, she drives that far for work), she loves living in a smaller hometown community. Prior to real estate, Leysa worked as a veterinary technician and for a time owned her own business, Body ‘N’ Such Creations. She produced 100% natural handmade soaps and spa products. She’s a graduate of Central Community College with an associates in agricultural business. Leysa has three nieces and a nephew that have lived with her on and off that are like her own children with two great nieces and a great nephew and two on the way. She loves to hike, read, ride, garden and most of all cook for family and friends. 

Pasta Goat Cheese Recipe

• 1 pound fusilli or geminelli noodles
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach, brocolli rabe, or other greens
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you like it hotter)
• 3/4-1 poun fresh feta (chevre works great in this dish as well)
• 1 can pitted black olives
• Olive oil

Directions

Fusilli Pasta with Goat Cheese Boil noodles according to box directions. While the noodles are cooking, in a large skillet or wok add olive oil to coat the bottom of pan, not deep, just a light coating. On med high heat add the garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté for about 1 minute. Add to this your greens (if you are using broccoli rabe, cook this in with the noodles) and sauté until tender, remove from heat. Drain your noodles and add them to the skillet, coating well with the oil/greens mixture. Now add your cheese crumbled and mix. You may leave large chunks of cheese or let it all melt. Mix in the olives and serve. This dish is great the next day cold. To dress up your recipe, add softened sun-dried tomatoes. Enjoy!

Provided by Rhonda Crow, Crow Dairy Farm

I made this dish the other night.  It was very simple and quick to make. I substituted bow tie pasta for this recipe since the local store didn’t carry the fusilli or geminelli. I think kids would enjoy the bow tie pasta it is such a fun shape. I added sun-dried tomatoes for color and flavor.  I did find that there were a lot of textures and flavors going on with this dish. I think next time I will just quickly coat the spinach with the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Also, I might leave out the olives. This would be a great meal for the fall or winter especially on busy nights since it is so quick to throw together.

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