Goat’s cheese, red onion and walnuts work beautifully together in this delicious, warm pasta salad. This salad can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes, making it great for busy worknights or speedy weekend lunches. It tastes great cold too, so make double and pop some in a lunchbox to take to work the next day!
A happy accident…
Don’t you just love happy accidents? This lovely warm goat’s cheese salad is the result of one such happy accident. I found a picture of a pasta salad that I liked in a magazine and duly went out and bought all the ingredients.
It was only when I came to make the salad, I realised I hadn’t really read the recipe properly at all. I must have looked at the picture and assumed I knew what was in the salad. My ingredients were not at all what was required, so I went ahead and made a salad with the ingredients I did have and it turned out so beautifully I just had to share it with you.
A beautiful combination of flavours
The combination of sharp and salty goat’s cheese, earthy nutty walnuts and sweet roasted red onions is just such a fabulous one. The warmth in the pasta and onions makes the goat’s cheese melt a little so it’s all gloopy and oozy and the salad leaves just finish the dish off with a beautiful freshness and a pepperiness from the rocket.
A quick and easy pasta salad
This delicious Warm Goat’s Cheese, Red Onion and Walnut Pasta Salad is so easy to make! Start by roasting red onion wedges, adding the walnuts to the roasting tray 5 minutes before the end of the roasting time.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When the pasta is ready, drain and return to the pan. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Add the roasted red onions and walnuts into the pasta and stir again.
Finally, tip the pasta into a serving bowl and add the chopped goat’s cheese and the salad leaves. Stir well so everything is evenly distributed, and to allow the goat’s cheese to melt slightly and the salad leaves to gently wilt in the warmth of the pasta.
What to serve with Goat’s Cheese and Walnut Pasta Salad?
This salad really is a complete meal in its own right. But if you want to make it more substantial, you could simply serve it with some crusty white bread and/or some extra salad leaves on the side.
What to drink with Goat’s Cheese and Walnut Pasta Salad?
I like to serve this pasta salad with a glass of Loire Sauvignon Blanc – such a perfect match with Chèvre goat’s cheese, which also comes from the Loire. (Top tip – wine and food that come from the same place in France often go well together!)
What to do with leftover Goat’s Cheese and Walnut Pasta Salad?
This is a salad that works best served fresh. But if you do end up with leftovers, I recommend you refrigerate the leftovers and eat them the next day – it makes an impressive packed lunch!
Can you freeze Goat’s Cheese and Walnut Pasta Salad?
No, this salad is not suitable for freezing.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Warm Goat's Cheese, Red Onion and Walnut Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion (or two small ones) cut into 8 wedges
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 300 g pasta I use fusilli
- 50 g walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 50 g salad leaves I use rocket (arugula)
- 100 g goat's cheese - ideally Chèvre chopped into small chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C/ 180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F.
- Place the red onion wedges in a small roasting tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and then turn the wedges in the oil. Roast the red onions in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn and roast the red onions for a further 10 minutes, until the wedges are tinged with golden brown.
- While the red onions are roasting, cook the pasta according to packet instructions / your own preferences. Drain when ready and put back into the saucepan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, plus some salt and pepper. Stir to coat the pasta evenly.
- After the red onions have been roasting for 15 minutes, add the walnuts to the tray and put the roasting tray back in the oven for the final 5 minutes.
- After the final 5 minutes are up, remove the roasting tray from the oven and tip the red onions and walnuts into the pasta. Stir well to combine.
- Tip the pasta/onion/walnut mix into a serving bowl and add the chopped goat's cheese and the salad leaves. Stir well so everything is evenly distributed and to allow the goat's cheese to melt slightly and the salad leaves to gently wilt in the warmth of the pasta.
- Serve the salad in a big bowl in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Ooh yum! I love warm salads Eb – how the salad leaves gently ‘cook’ from the warmth of the cooked foods is just delicious. We often have a pack of crumbly goats cheese in the fridge, it’s one of our favourites (though perhaps feta wins that battle 😉 ). Will you be re-visiting your food magazine to try their recipe?
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Warm salads are fab – I really love eating food that is supposed to be warm (as opposed to hot food that’s cooled to lukewarm because I’ve taken so long photographing it!) And yes – that thing when the leaves gently cook in the warmth and the cheese goes oozy – yum! Do you know what – it never occurred to me to go back and actually try the real recipe – I’ve probably lost it in the pile now! (It’s a very tall pile!!) Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I had to chuckle Eb, food that is meant to be hot but become lukewarm through time taken to photograph it is sooo familiar! Mr E saunters off with his hot meal whilst I pretend to be David Bailey 😉
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
I suspect this is a familiar story in most food blogger households! Poor Mr G has to wait until I’ve finished my shoot before he gets his dinner as my ‘studio’ is my dining room table – so we all eat it lukewarm – though I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to reheat things – stews can go back on the hob and veggies/couscous/rice have boiling water poured over them in a sieve. The kids don’t mind, though…they seem to prefer their food a bit cooler! Eb x
Intolerant Gourmand says
This is one of my favourite salads! Quite simply yum! If only I had the ingredients in so I could make it for lunch….! #cookblogshare
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Nathalie. It is a good one. Make it tomorrow! 🙂 Eb x
nessjibberjabberuk says
Love the combination of goat’s cheese, red onion and walnuts in this.
Eb Gargano says
Thank you – it really is a fab combination 🙂 Eb x
Jacqui says
I think this said looks lovely and Im looking forward to giving it a try. The warm butternut squash, harissa and Halloumi salad linked at the bottom looks good too I think I shall be popping back to give your recipes a try very soon
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Jacqui. The butternut squash, harissa and halloumi salad is amazing – one of the best things I’ve ever made – well worth a try. Would love to hear what you think if you try either of them 🙂 Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Ooooh Eb I adore goats cheese, it really is one of my favourite ingredients and cheeses! This salad looks and sounds amazingly good. This is going straight on my to try list. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
I know – goat’s cheese is fab, isn’t it? Thank you for your kind comments – would love to know how you get on if you try it 🙂 Eb x
Vicki Montague says
Ah this looks and sounds right up my street. I could eat salad all year around. I love it! And goats cheese and walnuts…wow. I love happy accidents…they happen a lot round here!
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Vicki! I know what you mean about goat’s cheese and walnuts – a fab pairing! Eb x
jenny paulin says
such a great and tasty combination of flavours here and i love that it involves a salad – makes it seem more healthy and me more virtuous if i were to eat it lol!
Eb Gargano says
Thank you! I love salad leaves – I try to fit them in whenever I can – just a shame you can’t fit many of those big puffy bags in the fridge. Gah! Eb x
Alison says
I love goats cheese and your salad looks lovely. The addition of walnuts will have worked really well. Great accidental salad
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Alison! I do love an accidental salad 🙂 I’ve made quite a few over the years – lots of ‘let’s see what we’ve got in the fridge/cupboard’ type salads in particular 🙂 Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
There is something comforting yet also virtuous about a good warm salad. But they just don’t seem the same made with GF pasta….. Hey ho…. Maybe it would be joust as good with warm baby potatoes?! Looks to good to pass up!
Eb Gargano says
Oooh yes – I totally agree about the virtuousness/comforting thing. Shame it doesn’t work with GF pasta 🙁 I can imagine this would work quite well with baby new potatoes or maybe some roast sweet potato? Eb x
Corina says
I love having happy accidents like this! I like the sound a warm pasta salad with the goats cheese and red onion – sounds delicious!
Eb Gargano says
Thank you! Happy accidents are great, aren’t they? Eb x
Eb Gargano says
P.S. Thank you Corina for writing my 1000th comment! I remember writing my first few blog posts and wondering if anyone would ever comment on any of my posts, now I have 1000 of them! Eb x
Sarah says
Lovely combination, this would be welcome on my table.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Sarah! Eb x
Hayley @ Snap Happy Bakes says
I’m quite partial to a salad, love the sound of this 🙂 Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thank you! I love salad at any time of the year, but especially now the weather is warming up! Eb x
Psychic Nest says
Hi Eb,
The moment I read about the melting goat cheese, it’s like I was there and I saw it. Oh my, this recipe is so amazing! I love pastas for the reason you stated: they are easy to make and maximum it will take 30 mins. Amazing dish, thank you for sharing!
Zaria
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Zaria! I know!! Melted goats cheese is sooo good, isn’t it? I’m a huge fan! And it goes just perfectly in this pasta salad. Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Eb x