Behind the Dish: Chèvre-Tomato Spaghetti

There aren’t many dishes simpler or more basic than James Beard’s recipe for Chèvre-Tomato Spaghetti. The sauce is a very straightforward marinara, made of tomatoes in puree (he recommends Redpack), sliced onions, fresh black pepper, dried basil and butter. To that, cubed chèvre — goat cheese — and Tabasco sauce are added, and it’s served atop spaghetti. A variation on the recipe suggests using blue cheese and omitting the Tabasco sauce, but we’re using the conventional recipe with chèvre and Tabasco. Try this change from the typical spaghetti and meatballs! It’s a little creamy to be sure, but mostly it’s a walk on the spicy side of pasta.