Description
Baked Feta Pasta is a delightful dish that combines roasted grape tomatoes, garlic, and creamy feta. With its easy preparation and irresistible flavor, it’s an excellent choice for a quick dinner or healthy meal. Enjoy this comforting pasta dish that’s sure to please everyone!
Ingredients
Scale
- 20 oz grape tomatoes
- 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 8 oz spinach, roughly chopped about 8 packed cups
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 7 – 8 oz block feta cheese (sheep's milk variety) drained
- 10 oz dry pasta such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt for pasta water
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a 3 quart baking dish, combine grape tomatoes and garlic, tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes, coating it with olive oil.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the baking dish and adjust the oven rack to the upper third. Increase the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the tomatoes and cheese begin to brown slightly.
- While the feta and tomatoes bake, boil your pasta in salted water until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. A minute before draining, add the spinach to the boiling pasta to wilt it. Drain well.
- Using a wooden spoon, mash together the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and feta until well combined. Mix the drained pasta and spinach into this mixture. Stir in fresh basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
- Add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve your desired consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
Notes
Use any pasta shape you prefer; just be aware of cooking times.
You can add extra veggies like zucchini or bell peppers for added flavor and nutrition.
For a gluten-free option, substitute regular pasta with gluten-free pasta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 20mg