Baked Goat Cheese

While researching restaurants for my trip to Los Angeles this Summer I perused a variety of dinner menus and found lots of good food. One appetizer that caught my eye is this baked goat cheese served in a red sauce reduction with fresh herbs and garlic. I don't recall the name of the restaurant that offered this deliciousness, but it's a dish that stuck with me and I had to try and make it.  I have no idea if this tastes even close to the original, but in my opinion this recipe tastes freaking amazing! Perfect for an evening in front of the fire with a glass of wine and a good book. 

Ingredients

1 inch thick slice of goat cheese approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The goat cheese should be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before using.

1 clove of crushed garlic

1 Tablespoon of fresh Italian seasonings such as basil, oregano and parsley finely chopped

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 1/2 cups of homemade or quality jarred pasta tomato sauce (will be reduced to approximately 1 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Reduce the pasta tomato sauce over medium heat until it's thickened to a paste.
• Pour 1 cup of the warmed tomato sauce reduction into an oven proof dish. 
• Lay the slice of chilled goat cheese on top of the tomato sauce reduction and top with chopped fresh herbs, crushed garlic, salt and pepper then drizzle with the olive oil.
• Place under the broiler on low for approximately 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
• Serve with fresh garlic toast or other toasted hearty bread.

Servings

1 individual cup

A Broken Oven Tip

This recipe is for an individual 1 cup serving, but the ingredient quantities could easily be increased to make enough to be served at a dinner party or cocktail hour.