Recipe overview
Why you’ll love it: Boursin Pasta is a place where comfort food meets elegance. Think of it as a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. This pasta sauce is rich, creamy, garlicky, and easy enough for a weeknight.
Time required: 45 minutes
Equipment needed: 9 x 13 inch baking dish, large pot.
Serving size: 4 servings
Creamy pasta that takes almost no effort
This is one of those dinners that looks like you tried really hard.
Creamy, herby Boursin cheese melts into the pasta, creating an amazingly delicious sauce with little effort. Add some juicy roasted tomatoes and suddenly you feel like you’re ordering in a cozy little restaurant.
In the meantime, it took about 10 minutes to assemble and the oven did the rest. To be honest, this is my favorite type of cooking.
More sophisticated comfort food: In the Venn diagram of dinner recipes, boursin pasta falls right between comfort food and haute cuisine (like this baked feta pasta recipe). It is rich and creamy, with the bright sweetness of juicy cherry tomatoes. RESTAURANT QUALITY WITH MINIMAL EFFORT: Boursin melts into ultra-creamy herbed sauces without the need for roux or heavy cream to thicken. VERY CUSTOMIZABLE: Creamy sauce can be used with any pasta you like. Put your own spin on this recipe by adding your favorite protein or seasonal vegetables as a side dish or incorporating them directly into the pasta.
Ingredient memo
The full list of ingredients and quantities is in the recipe card below, but here are some notes about the powerful ingredients.
Boursin cheese: You can buy Boursin cheese in a variety of flavors. I tested this Boursin pasta recipe with garlic and fine herbs, shallots and chives, and both had delicious results. Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: When roasted, small tomatoes burst open and release their natural juices, which caramelize and add flavor and serve as the base for sauces. I love adding them to sheet pan dinners, like this Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken. Shallots and Garlic: You can omit the shallots if you like, but I really liked the mild flavor of the onions. Undercooked Pasta: Since the pasta is cooked separately and not in a sauce, you have options here. Short forms like penne, shellfish, fusilli, cerentani, and even macaroni are perfect for holding creamy sauces. We used cerentani, a hollow corkscrew-shaped pasta also known as cavatappi. Parmesan cheese: You can omit the parmesan cheese, but if you do, we recommend adding a little salt. Fresh basil or parsley: Optional garnish, but chopped fresh herbs are good for cutting the richness of the sauce.
recipe tips
Don’t forget to save the pasta water! Scoop out half a cup of water from the pasta pot before draining. The starchy liquid helps the sauce reach the right consistency and gives it a glossy finish. Tip: Place a measuring cup very close to the cooked pasta so you don’t forget to drain it until it’s too late.
How to make boursin pasta
prepare. Preheat oven to 400°F. Choose a baking dish (9 x 13-inch glass dish) or oven-safe skillet large enough to hold the sauce and cooked pasta. Peel the shallots and cut them into quarters, or eighths if they are particularly large.
Start the source. Combine tomatoes (no need to slice), shallots, and minced garlic with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. You can do it in any baking dish or oven-safe skillet you use. Place the Boursin in the center.
roast. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and the cheese is soft and golden brown in places.
Cook the pasta. While the sauce is cooking, start cooking the pasta. Season the pasta from the inside out using salted water according to package directions. Reserve half a cup of the boiling water and drain the pasta.
Add pasta to sauce. When the sauce is ready, lightly mash the tomatoes and Boursin and stir to combine. Add the pasta to the baking dish and toss, adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed.
Cool and serve. Let the Boursin pasta rest for 5 minutes to thicken, season to taste, and garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
Recipe variations
Add green. After mixing the pasta, stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach or arugula. Be sure to use soft vegetables that wilt quickly when mixed into hot pasta and sauces. Fortify protein. Add rotisserie chicken, leftover baked chicken breast, cooked shrimp, or canned white beans. Swap the Boursin flavor. For flavor variations, try black pepper or caramelized onion and herbs. Add vegetables. Roasted mushrooms, steamed broccoli, sautéed zucchini, and roasted red peppers work well together. You can also mix it into pasta or serve it on the side.
offer suggestions
Salad: A fresh, crunchy salad is the perfect accompaniment to rich, creamy pasta. Try this healthy Caesar dressing recipe for an easy salad with romaine lettuce and homemade Caesar croutons. A restaurant-style house salad or this simple lemony arugula salad is always delicious.
Bread: Texas Toasted Garlic Bread is always a hit and is super easy to make. I also love the warm bakery bread served with the oil my bread was soaked in. Homemade cheese bread made using my easy pizza dough recipe is also popular. You can also shape the dough into breadsticks for kids.
Vegetable Garnish: This roasted asparagus recipe (which can be roasted at the same time as the Boursin pasta sauce) or air fryer carrots is a great and easy side dish.
Protein: Serve Boursin pasta with marinated flank steak or easy-to-make air fryer pork chops, or add air fryer breaded shrimp on top for a crispy contrast to the creamy pasta.
Refrigerate: Store leftover Boursin pasta in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Add water or stock to loosen the sauce when reheating. (I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as I think it will ruin the texture of both the pasta and the sauce.)
Reheat: Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and creamy.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Peel the shallots and cut them into quarters, or into eighths if they are large.
4 shallots
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or large ovenproof skillet, combine tomatoes, shallots, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Throw it on the court.
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Place the Boursin cheese in the center of the tomato mixture.
1 package (5.3 oz) Boursin cheese
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the tomato skins are cracked and saucy, the cheese is soft, and the spots are golden brown.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
8 ounces fresh pasta
Once the Boursin and tomatoes are done, remove the dish from the oven. Use a spoon to gently mash everything together to create a creamy sauce.
Add the cooked pasta directly to the baking dish and toss, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce (see notes). Let the pasta and sauce stand for 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly as the pasta absorbs more liquid.
Taste and adjust seasoning. (You may need to add salt if you don’t plan on garnishing with Parmesan.) Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and serve warm.
Thickness of sauce: Do not pour in half a cup of water at once. Usually you won’t need much additional water, but it depends on how juicy your tomatoes are and how well drained your pasta is. The sauce should be creamy, not thick or sticky, to evenly coat the pasta. Starchy water helps give the sauce a nice texture. To store: Leftover Boursin pasta will keep refrigerated for up to 4 days. If necessary, add water or broth to loosen the sauce when reheating. Boursin pasta does not freeze well. Variation: Immediately after stirring the pasta, add a few handfuls of baby spinach or soft arugula and stir until wilted. Mix in chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken or white beans for protein. Swap it out with other Boursin flavors for more variety (like Black Pepper or Caramelized Onion & Herb).
calorie: 493kcal, carbohydrates: 58g, protein: 13g, fat: twenty fourg, Saturated fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated fats: 1g, Monounsaturated fats: 5g, cholesterol: 39mg, sodium: 559mg, potassium: 742mg, fiber: 4g, sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1584IU, Vitamin C: 57mg, calcium: 80mg, iron: 3mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
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