Baked Goat Cheese and Marinara is a simple, subtle sauce with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil, letting the goat cheese be the star of this dish.
I was first introduced to the idea of goat cheese and marinara at one of my favorite restaurants, Mon Ami Gabi, in Las Vegas. They have a killer appetizer with homemade marinara mixed with goat cheese. I loved it served this way. It took a few years for me to find something that tasted relatively close to it. That was until one of our favorite local restaurants started to serve it. They didn’t mix the goat cheese and marinara but had medallions of goat cheese in a warm pool of marinara. Mmm, so good.
What I love about this dish is that the marinara is not overly seasoned with several Italian seasonings. It is simple with just onion, garlic, and basil, letting the goat cheese be the star of this dish while perfectly complementing it at the same time. My favorite pairing for any start of a meal, or on some occasions, as my meal.
Enjoy one of my favorite versions of this classic Italian dish.
XOXO San
How do you make Baked Goat Cheese and Marinara?
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Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Stir in wine and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze.
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Then add plum tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Let it come to a low boil. Then using the back of a knife, bruise the basil and add the pan. Reduce to a simmer and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Remove the basil leaves.
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Turn oven to low broil.
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Slice the baguette and brush each slice with a little olive oil, set in the oven and let it cook until toasted and a light golden brown.
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Slice the goat cheese into 1/2-1 inch slices.
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There are a couple of ways to serve this, for sharing or as individual servings.
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For sharing, lay down 1-2 cups of sauce in a shallow baking dish. Spread out 8-12 goat cheese slices. Place in oven on low broil until goat cheese is slightly golden and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped basil. Serve with toasted baguettes.
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For individual servings, spoon about 1/3-1/2 cup of sauce in mini circular dishes, like souffle dishes. Top with one goat cheese slice. Place in oven on low broil for a few minutes until goat cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped basil. Serve with toasted baguettes.
Here are some more of my favorite Italian inspired appetizers: Pull-Apart Pizza Bites, Italian Meatball & Goat Cheese Flatbread.
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Baked Goat Cheese and Marinara
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can plum tomatoes I like San Marzano Style
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup wine water maybe a substitute or ¼ cup apple juice & ¼ cup water
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 ounces goat cheese
- 1 French baguette sliced and toasted
- 6 fresh basil leaves chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Stir in wine and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze.
- Then add plum tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Let it come to a low boil. Then using the back of a knife, bruise the basil and add the pan. Reduce to a simmer and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Remove the basil leaves.
- Turn oven to low broil.
- Slice the baguette and brush each slice with a little olive oil, set in the oven and let it cook until toasted and a light golden brown.
- Slice the goat cheese into 1/2-1 inch slices.
- There are a couple of ways to serve this, for sharing or as individual servings.
- For sharing, lay down 1-2 cups of sauce in a shallow baking dish. Spread out 8-12 goat cheese slices. Place in oven on low broil until goat cheese is slightly golden and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped basil. Serve with toasted baguettes.
- For individual servings, spoon about 1/3-1/2 cup of sauce in mini circular dishes, like souffle dishes. Top with one goat cheese slice. Place in oven on low broil for a few minutes until goat cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped basil. Serve with toasted baguettes.
Notes
Kids review: Kids love to have really anything to dip their bread in, they have a tendency with this dish to avoid the goat cheese all together and just gobble up the sauce, which is fine by me as my husband and I have more to enjoy!
Sounds delicious Sandra, come share it at our link party http://memoriesbythemile.com/2014/02/25/treasure-box-tuesday-8/
Hugs,
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
WOW, that sounds delicious! I’ll definitely be making this appetizer for my next Girls Night In!
I love Mon Ami! This was the first dish I had in Vegas, actually. I’ve since had it at another restaurant in Las Vegas and have come up with something similar, too. Great appetizer, great post!
I’m going to have to try and make this!
Date night fancy mean at home! Thanks for sharing this. I think it is something that hubs would enjoy. My kids might wrinkle their noses. At least until they tried it!
Love this recipe. It has been too long since I have had goat cheese. Sharing on my G+ page.
Sounds (and looks) so delicious!
I love “dipping” things and the Italian in me is loving this recipe!! I must try it!
Yum…looks delicious! Something I could see my family eating!
Oh Looks So Good Can’t Wait To Try!!
That looks amazing! I will have to try this. I love goat cheese.
Never thought of that combo, but now that i read this and saw the pics, i am sold! Looks great with crackers or chips.
This looks mouth watering and fabulous! Goat cheese is one of my favorites!
I’m not a fan of goat cheese, but my MIL would love this recipe! I’m going to share it with her!
Yum! I definitely want to try this.
YUM! This looks great! This is definitely being pinned for later!!
I’ve never had goat cheese, but this sounds good! I think I’d like it!
That looks excellent. Anything with goat cheese and marinara has to be good, really.
You’d think I’d like gost cheese after growing up on a goat farm, but don’t. However, this looks like a beautiful recipe for fans of it!
I love goat cheese and I bet this tastes pretty good! Thanks for sharing this, I will have to give it a try
I have never had that. Looks good so I will have to try it now.
Looks tasty! I have never had goat cheese, does it taste like regular cheese?
Oh my goodness, that looks amazing… I want this right now… NOW!!! Ha…thanks for the recipe
Yum yum yum. Please do a gluten free version too- my boys love their lasagna!
Wow! That looks fabulous! Your pictures turned out awesome!
Oh my heart, my heart that looks good! Can’t wait to try it!
Your recipes make my mouth water! This looks so good.
I LOVE Goat Cheese. I especially love it with Egg Plants. This looks really good as well.
I love finding new little appetizers to try with my family! This looks really amazing and easy to make!
I am not a fan of goat cheese, but it looks so mouthwatering that I really want to try it 🙂 I love Mon Ami Gabi.
This looks so yummy! I”m not a huge goat cheese eater but I will definitely have to try it this way! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my, this sounds so so tasty! I’m sure it doesn’t help that it’s dinner time and I’m hungry, ha. Thank you so much for sharing at our link it or lump it party!
Amy @ http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com
That looks delish! The pictures did it for me. That looks so good.