Easy Baked Feta Pasta

Hello, welcome Friends! Apparently Baked Feta Pasta took the internet by storm a while back. I came late to this internet craze, but fortunately for those of us not on the cutting edge of things, there is no expiration date on easy, delicious recipes. I have a Baked Feta appetizer recipe on the blog, so today, we take that a few steps further with Easy Baked Feta Pasta. This is a choose-your-own adventure kind of recipe so consider what veggies you might like to swap in or out – get creative! Let’s jump right in.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. We will bake the veggies and the feta for about 30 minutes. So think about what veggies you’d like to have in your pasta. I am going with mini bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and shallots. But the sky is the limit, really. Broccoli, cauliflower, corn…go with what you like. Prep your veggies by cutting them into bite-size pieces – nothing fancy. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat the veggies in oil and seasoning.

You will want to seek out a block of feta. The block of feta will get really creamy in the center after baking, which is what gives the whole dish a creamy sauce-like result.

I have an 8-ounce block of feta. You can certainly double this for extra-creamy pasta. Slice the block in half and place the two halves on top of the veggies. Drizzle with olive oil and season with black pepper.

Slide the sheet tray on the center rack in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile bring the water to boil for the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions and cook just until al dente. You can use your favorite pasta shape. I went with Campanelle because its fluted frilly shape is great for catching all the bits of creamy sauce. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add the pasta back to the large pot.

Baked Feta

When the feta and veggies come out of the oven, use a silicone spatula to mash up the feta and stir it into the veggies. Then carefully transfer the veggies, feta and pan juices to the pot with the cooked pasta.

Now, this is optional but I wanted to add a little green to this dish, so I added a handful of baby arugula. You can add spinach, if you like. The other optional add-in is an olive relish that I made and previously used for the Greatest Meatball Sub.

Stir the baked feta and veggies into the pasta, until the pasta is well combined with the veggies and coated in the creamy feta.

Portion into shallow bowls and top with thinly sliced (chiffonade cut) fresh basil. Give it a drizzle of olive oil and a crank or two of fresh black pepper, if you like.

I hope you give this Easy Baked Feta Pasta a try, it’s an easy alternative to a cream-based pasta dish. I really love recipes like this because it’s a perfect opportunity to experiment and get creative with flavors and textures – without breaking the bank, or requiring much prep. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today, take care and be well. xo Kelly

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Easy Baked Feta Pasta

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes – Cooking Time: 30 Minutes – Total Time: 40 Minutes

An easy alternative to cream-based pasta dishes, this Easy Baked Feta Pasta comes together in just about half an hour. A perfect weeknight meal, customize to your liking or for whatever you have in the fridge!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. package Mushrooms, quartered
• 16 oz. package Mini Bell Peppers, stemmed and quartered
• 2 Shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 8-oz. Block Feta, halved
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 16-oz. package Dried Pasta (try a tubular or twisted shape like Fusilli, Campanelle, or Cavatappi)
• Optional: 1 cup olive tapanade and 1 handful of raw arugula or raw spinach
• 2-3 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chiffonade cut

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2

Combine the prepped veggies on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil.

3

Season with Kosher salt and pepper, toss to coat the veggies.

4

Place the halves of feta on the veggies and drizzle more olive oil on the feta. Top the feta with black pepper.

5

Bake for 30 minutes.

6

Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions for al dente cooked pasta.

7

Drain pasta and add the cooked pasta back to the pot.

8

When the feta and veggies come out of the oven, break apart the feta with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Mix with the veggies.

9

Add the feta/veggie combination, along with any pan juices to the drained pasta in the pot and stir to combine and coat the pasta in the feta and veggies.

10

Optionally, add in a handful of raw arugula or spinach and one cup of olive relish or tapenade. Stir again to mix well.

11

Serve portions in wide bowls, topped with fresh basil.