Sometimes the simple things in life can be so pleasing.  Pasta has become a food staple in our house. The children love it. It is quick to prepare and hits the spot in minutes. But, because of this, I have gone off pasta and only make meals with it for me and Mr. Scott when there is little other choice.

The one exception to this rule is my favourite pasta dish of all time. The River Cafe chilli crab linguine.

I could happily eat this several times a week. I have written about it HERE. It is the best and something I make at least twice during my weekly holiday in Devon during May half term.

But, I think I have created a pasta dish to challenge it’s position and my obsession with all things crab. Silky pappardelle pasta with a buttery wine and garlic sauce, fresh thyme and a goat’s cheese cream. It is simply delicious and can be ready to eat within ten minutes of entering the kitchen.

I am not an advocate of fast food at every meal time. I love relaxing and cooking a good meal that may take me as long as it teas to cook a chicken. In fact, I am a supporter of the slow food movement. Good food often takes time and effort to prepare and is something that should be appreciated for we cannot live by fast and almost instant food alone.

All I am saying is that this is a meal that, given how few ingredients it has, represents all that is good about taste and flavour. It just happens to take minutes to prepare and I hope you give it a try because it really is good!

This is another entry for me into the #CapricornCallenge. So Ethel the Goat this is for you.

Papparedelle with Goat’s Cheese Cream

Ingedients :- Serves 2

• 1 packet of fresh papparedelle (250g)

• 1 large knob of butter

• 1 large clove of garlic finely chopped

• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

• Zest and juice of half a lemon

• A generous amount of wine

• 100ml double cream

• 1 Capricorn Goat’s cheese de-rinded and chopped into small chunks

• Salt & Pepper

• Parmesan  and chopped walnuts to serve

Method :-

1. Place the butter in a large saucepan or wok and melt.

2. Add in the garlic and fry (medium heat) for a couple of minutes but do not let it brown.

3. Add in the chopped thyme and lemon zest and fry for a minute or two.

4. Pour in the wine and let it bubble down for a few minutes until some of the alcohol had burned off.

5. Add the cream, Goat’s cheese, seasoning as well as the lemon juice and let it bubble gently over a low heat for a few minutes.

6. Cook the papparedelle according to the packet instructions

7. Drain and tip the pasta into the Goat’s cheese cream sauce and coat the pasta well in the creamy sauce. Leave it to rest for a couple of minutes before serving. This allows the pasta to soak up all the wonderful flavours.

8. Serve and add some freshly grated Parmesan and chopped walnuts (optional)

Notes :-

• The chopped walnuts add a lovely texture to this soft, rich and luxurious pasta dish. Thyme and lemon zest and juice lifts the dish and prevents it from being too rich and cloying.

• This dish would offer a welcome change to the usual creamy based Carbonara sauce. The Goat’s cheese adds a delicious slight tang to the dish.

• I would happily have eaten a double sized portion of this dish. But am delighted to have discovered that I can now alternate between this and the crab linguine because really fresh crab is not that easy to find in suburban Surrey!