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Baked Feta Pasta
This Baked feta pasta is a simple recipe made by roasting cherry tomatoes and feta cheese in the oven to make the sauce. Toss in the pasta for a fuss-free and flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces block feta cheese
- 8 ounces penne pasta or pasta of your choice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic sliced in half
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 sweet peppers sliced, ½ cup approximately
- ½ yellow onion sliced, ½ cup approximately
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- black pepper freshly cracked, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes adjust to taste
- ½ cup basil leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In an oven-safe baking dish (using 9X13 inch), add the cherry tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Toss until well combined.
- Make space in the middle by pushing the veggies to the side. Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish. Pour the remaining olive oil over it and season with freshly cracked black pepper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes are soft, and the feta cheese melts.
- While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot full of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. I've used penne pasta but you can use any pasta of choice.
- Drain the pasta and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water liquid to adjust the consistency if needed.
- After 40 mins, remove the dish from the oven. Mash everything with a fork to a sauce consistency. This makes a great dip too.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix to combine.
- Garnish with more fresh basil and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Use fresh ingredients. There aren’t many ingredients in this recipe so use fresh tomatoes and veggies for the best results. Canned will not yield the same results.
Substitutes - Use red or yellow bell pepper in place of sweet peppers. Crumbled feta piled in a block if you are unable to find Feta block cheese. Cherry or grape tomatoes work best but you can add diced tomatoes as the last option.
Reserve the pasta water. You can use this starchy pasta water to adjust the pasta consistency. I didn’t use it, but you can certainly add it if you feel the baked feta pasta needs more sauce. Or if you are planning on storing it for later use as it will thicken when refrigerated.
Go easy on the salt - Feta is naturally very salty so add less salt as you can always add more later if needed.
Cut down the tartness - I have seen many complain about tart feta taste and it overpowering this recipe. To balance the tart and salty feta, add onions and peppers while roasting. They will caramelize and lend a slightly sweet taste to the pasta.
Variations - Feel free to add cooked chicken, shrimp, or sausage, or more veggies. Sliced jalapenos will taste great too if you prefer it spicy or add spinach leaves to the cooked pasta to boost the nutritional value.
Storage - Store leftovers in air tight container. They last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 943mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2708IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 2mg
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