Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

Trust us, the best part of this recipe isnt eating it. The best part comes from the smells that fill your home when you are making it. This baked feta pasta is a surefire cheesy, comfort meal and an easy recipe to throw together on a weeknight. It uses plenty of fresh flavors, herbs, and seasonings, as well as two pints of cherry tomatoes and a block of feta cheese. The block of cheese will go directly into the pan. There is no need to crumble or shred this cheese. You can use crumbled feta cheese for this recipe if thats what you have on hand. While it will still work well enough, crumbled cheese, similar to shredded cheese, will have anti-caking agents that wont help the cheese form with the sauce once melted. Many of your ingredients will go in the 13x9-inch baking dish: cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Italian seasoning, basil, and sea salt. Make a little space for your block of cheese in the middle and place it there, coating the cheese and the rest of the pan with more olive oil. These ingredients will cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. When the tomatoes blister, it is ready. Remove from the oven and create your sauce by mashing and mixing the garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and feta cheese with a heavy spoon. Add your pasta, spinach, and pasta water if it is not saucy enough. Mix everything together and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight in the fridge for up to four days.

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• cup sliced red bell pepper
• cup sliced red onion
• cup olive oil
• 4 cloves peeled garlic, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• teaspoon red pepper flakes
• teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• teaspoon Italian seasoning
• teaspoon dried basil
• teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package feta cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 cup baby spinach

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

Step 2: In a 13x9-inch baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Italian seasoning, basil, and sea salt. Make a space in the center of the dish and place the block of feta cheese there. Coat the cheese with olive oil, ensuring its well-covered.

Step 3: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to blister and split.

Step 4: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until its tender but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Step 5: Remove the feta-tomato mixture from the oven. Use a heavy spoon to mash the garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and feta cheese together to create a sauce.

Step 6: Stir in the spinach and cooked pasta. The spinach will cook from the heat of the pasta sauce and pasta. If the mixture is too thick, add the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Step 7: Mix everything well, serve immediately, and enjoy!

Note: Greek feta cheese made from sheep's milk produces a creamier pasta than feta made from cow's milk.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 385
• Total Fat: 27g (35%)
• Saturated Fat: 8g (42%)
• Cholesterol: 34mg (11%)
• Sodium: 451mg (20%)
• Total Carbohydrate: 27g (10%)
• Dietary Fiber: 4g (13%)
• Total Sugars: 6g
• Protein: 10g (20%)
• Vitamin C: 28mg (31%)
• Calcium: 225mg (17%)
• Iron: 2mg (10%)
• Potassium: 390mg (8%)