Easy Baked Feta Pasta (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
2 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
02 -
1 (8 oz) block of feta cheese
03 -
½ teaspoon salt
04 -
½ teaspoon black pepper
05 -
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
06 -
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
07 -
5 tablespoons olive oil
08 -
2 cloves garlic, minced
09 -
12 oz pasta (penne, bowtie, or any short pasta)
10 -
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
# Instructions:
01 -
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it's properly heated when you're ready to bake the tomatoes and feta.
02 -
Place the cherry tomatoes in a 9x13 inch baking dish or similarly sized oven-safe dish. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss gently to coat all the tomatoes evenly with oil and seasonings.
03 -
Create a space in the center of the tomatoes and place the entire block of feta cheese there. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the feta. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are bursting and the feta is soft and golden on top.
04 -
While the tomatoes and feta are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve approximately ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
05 -
Once the baking dish is out of the oven, immediately add the minced garlic (the residual heat will cook it without making it bitter). Using a spoon or fork, mash the softened feta cheese and burst tomatoes together until well combined but still somewhat chunky for texture. This creates your creamy sauce base.
06 -
Add the drained pasta directly to the baking dish with the tomato-feta mixture. Toss gently but thoroughly until all the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
07 -
Stir in most of the fresh chopped basil, reserving a little for garnish. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve immediately in bowls or plates, garnished with the remaining fresh basil and additional red pepper flakes if desired.
# Notes:
01 -
Use a block of feta cheese rather than crumbled for the creamiest sauce texture.
02 -
The pasta water contains starch that helps bind the sauce to the pasta, so don't forget to reserve some before draining.
03 -
Recipe from Marina Savoy.