Creamy Baked Feta Pasta
Total Time
45 mins
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rating
4.98 out of 5 stars
(224)
Ingredients
6 servings
- 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 8 oz asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp to drizzle over cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz block Feta Cheese
- 10 oz penne pasta
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, or basil, finely minced
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Add tomatoes and asparagus to a 9×13 casserole. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss to combine. Make a space in the center and place your 8 oz block of feta in the pan. Drizzle the top with 1 Tbsp olive oil and another sprinkle of black pepper. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes until tomatoes start to burst.
Step 2
About halfway through your baking time, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to package instructions, stirring a few times to keep the pasta from sticking. Drain pasta (reserving some cooking water if you decide to add it later).
Step 3
After 30 minutes, the tomatoes should burst and start to release their juice. Remove from the oven and immediately stir in remaining minced garlic and parsley and toss to combine. Use the back of a large spoon to press the cheese into the olive oil and stir until cheese is well dispersed in the dish.
Step 4
Stir in drained cooked pasta. Add reserved pasta water if desired. Serve warm. Be mindful of those tomatoes (the juicy centers can be very hot if you eat them right away). Add reserved hot pasta water as desired for saucier pasta.
Step 5
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
To make the pasta creamier or saucier, add hot pasta water to reach desired consistency. If the water cools down, warm it up in the microwave until steaming hot.
You can replace asparagus with chicken tenders. My sister made this with a pound of chicken tenders, roasting them in the same pan with the cheese and tomatoes.
Do not substitute tomatoes since their juice helps for the sauce. We haven’t found anything that works as well as tomatoes.
The oil is important to forming the right saucy consistency. I would not recommend reducing the amount of olive oil.
One of the things I love about feta pasta is that it reheats well. Unlike a heavy cream-based sauce which can separate, this one reheats creamy. Add a splash of pasta cooking water or filtered water to keep it moist when reheating in the microwave.
