Pasta with Smashed Sungolds and Goat Cheese

Super quick and tasty summer pasta.

adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

Ingredients

Kosher salt

2 pints ripe Sungolds

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, oregano, or basil leaves

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated, plus more as needed

1 pound fusilli or another spiral pasta

Goat Cheese, either about half a tub of the fresh chevre, or half an ashed log. About 4 oz of either.

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the Sungolds, herbs, red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash with a fork or potato masher until Sungolds are juicy. Stir in the Parmesan. Set aside while the pasta cooks, or up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

To the bowl of tomatoes, add the goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir until the cheese is mostly melted. Add the pasta and stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce coats the noodles. Season to taste with additional Parmesan and red-pepper flakes.

Enjoy!