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Baked Feta Pasta

A creamy, flavorful baked feta pasta with cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs, perfect for a quick and delicious dinner.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 5
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 120

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 20 oz grape tomatoes
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 7 oz feta cheese sheep's milk variety, drained
  • 10 oz dry pasta such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi
  • 8 oz spinach roughly chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 0.5 cup reserved pasta water

Method
 

Preparation Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add grape tomatoes and garlic to a 3-quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place feta in the center of tomatoes, turn to coat with oil.
  3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
  4. Raise oven rack to the upper third of the oven, increase temperature to 450 degrees, and bake until tomatoes and feta are slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente in salted water according to package instructions.
  6. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and spinach. Mix spinach into the pasta while it’s still hot to wilt it.
  7. Squeeze the roasted feta and tomatoes into a bowl; mash together with a spoon. Add the mixture to the cooked pasta along with basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
  8. Thin out the sauce with reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until reaching desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

Notes

This dish is versatile and can be customized with additional herbs or protein options like grilled chicken.