I made up this recipe after ordering the same thing over and over at Cucina Cucina, the roasted chicken goat cheese pasta.  I always seem to make too much sauce.  Play around with it, see what works for you.  This is usually as last minute thing if I can’t think of anything else to make because it takes about 15 minutes and dinner is done.

Sauce

1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Flour
2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (I love them)
2 Tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup cream
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk (you could use just milk but increase the amount of flour)
A couple handfuls of spinach roughly chopped
1.5 ounces (1/4 of the log you get at Costco) of Goat Cheese (with another .5 ounce or so reserved)

Pasta of your choice, I like angel hair, but shapes work, spaghetti, whatever your have.

Boil water with salt and olive oil for the pasta.  Once boiling add the pasta and start the sauce, it really only takes about 5 minutes make if everything prepped.

Put the butter and olive oil in a shallow frying pan over medium high heat.  Before butter has completely melted add the pine nuts and onion.  Cook until pine nuts are slightly toasted and onions have turned translucent.  If the butter and/or onions turn a little brown the sauce will still taste good, just won’t be as white.  Add the flour to absorb the majority of the butter and oil and stir to avoid burning and to cook out the floury taste, about 30 seconds or so.  Add the cream slowly and stir to try and avoid lumps.  If the sauce is still too thick start adding milk, again stirring, until it looks like too thin, as it cooks it will thicken up.  Reduce to Medium, to Medium Low heat.  Season with the salt and pepper to taste.  Crumble the goat cheese and add to the sauce stirring occasionally until it is well melted and incorporated.  If the sauce gets too thick you can add more milk.  About two minute before pasta is finished add the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir to coat evenly, it will be cooked, but not soggy.

Drain pasta, add sauce to pasta and stir to coat evenly and serve with the extra goat cheese served on top.

Variations:
With Chicken.  I cook boneless skinless breasts on the george forman with olive oil and garlic and then chop it up and put it on top or stir it in, or even on the side.  Could also work well with a whole roasted chicken (oh I have a recipe for that too).
With Broccoli.  I add chopped broccoli (as much as you want to eat) the last two or three minutes to the pasta as it is cooking.
With Gorgonzola Cheese.  Instead of goat cheese.  It can be a bit overpowering, it has a more earthy taste and changes things up a bit.
With Parmesan cheese.  Presto you just made a Alfredo sauce
With Cheddar Cheese.  Home Made Mac n Cheese
With a combo…try Gorgonzola with a little parm and cheddar with chicken and broccoli and cauliflower, its yummy.

The sauce is also good in small quantities over roasted vegetables (butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, etc).

Let me know what you think!