Recipe By: Erica Baty, @itsaflavorfullife

🍅 Fun Fact: Starchy pasta water is doing more than loosening the sauce. Its starch helps the melted Boursin, roasted tomatoes, and olive oil emulsify into a silky coating that actually clings to the pasta.

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Pasta + Sauce
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and root ends trimmed
1 5.2-oz round garlic-and-herb Boursin cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, or fusilli
3/4 cup reserved starchy pasta water
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, optional

To Finish
3 cups chopped spinach, optional
Fresh basil, thinly sliced
Grated Parmesan, optional

Protein Addition
12 oz fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced into coins

1️⃣ Build The Baking Dish
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the Boursin in the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Surround it with the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and sliced chicken sausage. Drizzle everything with olive oil, then season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

2️⃣ Roast Until Jammy
Roast for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to burst, the garlic is soft and golden, the sausage is browned at the edges, and the cheese is lightly bronzed on top.

3️⃣ Cook The Pasta
While the baking dish roasts, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining.

4️⃣ Mash The Garlic
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Squeeze the softened garlic from its skins, then mash it directly into the tomatoes and melted cheese with a fork.

5️⃣ Make The Sauce
Add the drained pasta to the baking dish. Pour in half of the reserved pasta water and toss until the Boursin, tomato juices, roasted garlic, and olive oil form a creamy sauce.

6️⃣ Finish The Greens
Fold in the spinach and basil. Add more pasta water as needed until the spinach wilts and the sauce coats every piece of pasta.

7️⃣ Serve Glossy
Spoon into bowls and finish with Parmesan, fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and another pinch of red pepper flakes.

thebacklabel Note
Start with half the pasta water. You can always add more, but the goal is a sauce that hugs the pasta—not one collecting at the bottom of the bowl.

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