Description
This Baked Feta Pasta recipe is a creamy, cheesy, and flavorful dish that combines roasted tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and a whole block of feta for an easy, crowd-pleasing meal. Tossed with your favorite pasta and finished with fresh basil and Parmesan, it’s a weeknight wonder you’ll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/4 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 block feta cheese (about 7–8 oz), drained
- 1 pound pasta (penne, fusilli, rotini, or your choice)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Optional Add-Ons: Cooked chicken or shrimp, extra vegetables (bell peppers, spinach, asparagus), lemon zest or juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onion, garlic, olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat.
- Make a space in the center and place the feta block in the middle. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until tomatoes burst and feta is golden and softened.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- Once baked, use a spoon to mash the feta and tomatoes together into a creamy sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Use reserved pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in fresh basil and Parmesan (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve hot, with optional lemon zest or juice for brightness and your choice of cooked protein if desired.
Notes
- Use full-fat block feta for the creamiest texture—avoid pre-crumbled feta.
- Add spinach during the last few minutes of baking if you’d like it wilted into the sauce.
- This dish is easily made gluten-free with GF pasta.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: undefined
- Trans Fat: undefined
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: baked feta pasta, roasted tomato feta pasta, viral feta pasta, easy vegetarian pasta, Mediterranean pasta recipe