Mac 'n' Goat Cheese

Okay, Foodie Friends, long time no post! I've discovered a couple of awesome new recipes lately and wanted to share...anyone else cooking up something new?

Here's a recipe for fancy-people's macaroni and cheese. It's possible that I was just starving when I ate it, but I thought it was so good I scarfed it up and wished I'd had more. I think it would be good with shredded chicken mixed in as well. Plus, it was so, so quick--it was all finished in about the time it took to cook the macaroni.

3/4 pound macaroni pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint cheery tomatoes, halved
One 9-oz bag spinach
salt and pepper
6 ounces goat cheese, broken into chunks*
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

*I've read recently that you shouldn't use the pre-crumbled goat cheese for pasta dishes like this because it doesn't melt well. I tried the pre-crumbled once, and I think these people know what they are talking about--the log of cheese was much creamier.

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup cooking water, and return to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, and reserved pasta water and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and peper.

3. Stir into the pasta along with the goat cheese. Transfer to a service dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

Recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2009