If you’re looking for a way to turn the classic Boursin ‘Garlic & Fine Herbs’ Cheese into something other than an excuse to eat a whole pack of crackers, you’re gonna LOVE this pasta. Follow me…
Boursin Cheese Pasta
Boursin makes the perfect pasta sauce for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, as it’s a soft cheese it melts fairly easily. Secondly, it’s already an explosion of flavours. You don’t need extra herbs to dress up the pasta and you certainly won’t need garlic! For the whole sha’bang here’s what you’ll need:
Pasta – I prefer using a longer cut of pasta, I love how the sauce clings to the long noodles to create an oozy, cheesy sauce. But you can use any variety you like. Boursin Cheese – 1x 5oz/150g block. Roughly diced to help it melt at an even rate. Parmesan – Adds another layer of cheesy flavour without affecting the texture of the sauce too much. Smoked Sausage – The smokiness goes perfectly with both the garlic and the cheese. Plus it’s already cooked so it reduces cooking time. Shallot – Slightly milder/sweeter than onion. The sweetness helps balance out the sharp tones of the garlic/cheese. Butter – To fry the sausage/shallot. I recommend unsalted, just so you’ve got more control over the seasoning of the dish.
What can I use instead of smoked sausage?
You can honestly use anything you fancy in this dish. Bacon works nicely, as does leftover chicken. Mushrooms go really well, as does spinach or other veggies. Generally speaking I just throw in whatever is in need of using in the fridge!
How to make Boursin Pasta
Whilst you can just melt the Boursin straight into pan to create the sauce, you’ll notice it drys up VERY quickly and goes clumpy. Introducing your new best friend –
Starchy Pasta Water
By adding some of the water your pasta is cooked in, you’ll emulsify the fats in the sauce and help create a creamy texture. It thins out the cheese enough to create a sauce, but not so much it goes watery. Just two things to keep in mind:
Don’t overfill the pasta with water, only use just enough to boil the pasta. The less water there is, the starchier it’ll be. Scoop the water out just before draining the pasta, just so the water is at it’s starchiest. Make sure to salt the pasta water, just so it doesn’t dilute the water of the sauce.
Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), fry shallots (photo 2), fry sausage (photo 3), whisk in pasta water and melt in boursin (photo 4), add parmesan and s& p (photo 5), toss in pasta (photo 6).
When it comes to serving, I tend not to add any more parmesan because it’s already fairly rich in flavour, but go wild if you want to!
Can I reheat leftovers?
Sure! Just reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of milk to thin out as needed. If you’re looking for another quick and easy soft cheese pasta recipe check out my Cream Cheese Pasta! For more recipes using Boursin check out my Boursin Mash, Boursin Salmon Orzo and Boursin Chicken! For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:
Penne Arrabiata with Smoked Sausage Sausage and Fennel Pasta Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta Harissa Sausage Pasta Orecchiette with Sausage
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this Boursin pasta shall we?!
How to make Boursin Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)
