Boursin Cheese Is Key To Making Easy Weeknight Pasta

When looking for a quick and easy meal, many people turn to pasta recipes for easy weeknight dinners. Affordable and filling, pasta is a go-to pantry staple time and again, whether it's creamy and comforting homemade fettuccine alfredo or rigatoni with a rich meaty ragu. But one ingredient that's handy to keep in your refrigerator for extra flavor in a flash is Boursin cheese, which pairs perfectly with pasta for an effortless but tasty dinner.

The original soft and spreadable cheese flavored with punchy garlic and herbs has been around since the early 1960s and is equally tasty when used for cooking as it is served on a cheeseboard. You can even make your own version by mixing a block of regular cream cheese with garlic, dried herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.

Whether it's store-bought or homemade, its natural creaminess and rich flavor make Boursin cheese ideal for making pasta sauces. No matter if it's in a one-pot pasta dish, a pasta bake, or simply melted with a little of the starchy cooking water on the stove and tossed with the pasta of your choice, there are so many ways to make a hearty meal that will be on the table in no time at all.

With its notes of aromatic parsley, pungent garlic, and onion-like chives, Boursin cheese is a robustly flavored ingredient. But one of the most appealing things about the product, besides its taste, is how easily it can be used to make the simplest of pasta sauces. In fact, it pretty much negates the need to actually make a traditional from-scratch sauce at all since it naturally melts into a creamy and silky consistency that perfectly clings to the noodles.

A 20-minute meal which has understandably proved popular on TikTok involves baking a whole cheese in an ovenproof dish surrounded by cherry tomatoes and garlic, a similar method to the previous baked feta pasta trend. Stirring through cooked pasta with a little cooking water creates a glossy sauce, ideal for a fast and fuss-free family meal. To take it to the next level, add dried chili or red pepper flakes before baking the cheese for heat, or stir some spinach into the sauce toward the end until the greens are just wilted.

Alternatively, use the garlicky dairy product for a new take on a cacio e pepe recipe. Just toss peas and ground peppercorns in foaming butter, then whisk in the cheese with a cup of pasta water to create the sauce, adding Parmesan and fresh herbs as desired. Or try adding smoked sausage, bacon, leftover chicken, or mushrooms to a simple Boursin and pasta water sauce to dress noodles.

While Boursin cheese is a great partner for pasta, it also works well to quickly add a boost of flavor and creamy texture to many other dishes. The dairy product can be used as one of many tasty ingredients to elevate mashed potatoes; simply stir the cheese along with a little cooking water and milk into the cooked potatoes before mashing. Or mix the ingredient with crème fraîche, Parmesan, lemon zest, and juice, and stuff it into crispy-skinned baked potatoes; top it all with cooked sliced pancetta and aromatic pesto to make it extra-fancy.

The flavorsome ingredient pairs perfectly with meat and chicken dishes, too. Try mixing the soft cheese with cooked spinach and breadcrumbs, and using the mixture to stuff chicken breasts; wrap the breasts in Parma ham before cooking for a salty, crispy coating. Alternatively, create a sauce for grilled chicken by melting Boursin with water and softened onions, and pour it over the poultry. Or make a cheesy, garlicky compound butter by beating butter with Boursin, fresh parsley, and seasoning; it's perfect with steak.

For a dinner party appetizer that looks and tastes impressive but is incredibly simple, dip a whole cheese into flour, egg, then breadcrumbs, and bake it in the oven to turn gooey; it's delicious when served with hot honey and crostini. You can also try it as a topping for burgers to elevate your grill game, or with spicy Buffalo chicken sandwiches to add a cool creaminess.