Goat Cheese Rigatoni with Leeks, Walnuts, and Rosemary
By Jessica RudolphPublished on February 9, 2026
Time
30 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided½ cup chopped walnuts 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary ¾ teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 pound rigatoni 4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, crumbled½ cup heavy cream
Before You Begin
We prefer rigatoni, but any short pasta, such as penne or rotini, can be used.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts, 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring often, until walnuts and butter are browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet. Add 1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced thin and washed thoroughly; 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- When water comes to boil, add 1 pound rigatoni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Add leek mixture, 1 cup crumbled goat cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, and ½ cup reserved cooking water to pasta and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until goat cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Adjust consistency with remaining cooking water as needed. Serve, topping individual portions with walnut mixture.
Time
30 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta
1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound rigatoni
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup heavy cream
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta
1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound rigatoni
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup heavy cream
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta
1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound rigatoni
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup heavy cream
Why This Recipe Works
This simple, decadent pasta dish comes together in minutes, thanks to a lush goat cheese-–based sauce. We added crumbled goat cheese, heavy cream, and starchy pasta water to hot cooked rigatoni; after just a minute of stirring, the cheese melted into a silky, emulsified sauce. Leeks sautéed in butter with garlic and red pepper flakes provided subtle allium sweetness and savory depth. To dress up the creamy pasta, we sizzled a fragrant combination of walnuts and rosemary in more butter until its milk solids turned brown and nutty-tasting, then spooned the topping over individual servings.
Before You Begin
We prefer rigatoni, but any short pasta, such as penne or rotini, can be used.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts, 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring often, until walnuts and butter are browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet. Add 1 pound leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced thin and washed thoroughly; 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- When water comes to boil, add 1 pound rigatoni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Add leek mixture, 1 cup crumbled goat cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, and ½ cup reserved cooking water to pasta and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until goat cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Adjust consistency with remaining cooking water as needed. Serve, topping individual portions with walnut mixture.
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