BAKED FETA PASTA

 BAKED FETA PASTA

INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• 2 pints (20 oz) grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 7 oz. block feta cheese (sheep’s milk variety), drained
• 10 oz. dry pasta (bite size)
• 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 8 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

HOW TO MAKE BAKED FETA PASTA

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Add feta, tomatoes, oil to baking dish: Add grape tomatoes and garlic to a 3 quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Place the feta in the center of tomatoes and turn to coat with oil.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Then remove the baking dish, raise the oven rack up to upper 1/3 of the oven. Return the baking dish to the oven and increase the oven to 450 degrees. Bake until tomatoes and cheese are starting to brown slightly, about 10 minutes longer.
• Cook pasta: Meanwhile boil pasta to al dente ( pasta or rice that is cooked to be firm to the bite) in salted water (I use 1 Tbsp salt and about 3 or 4 quarts of water), according to the time listed on the pasta package.
• Save some pasta water, cook spinach: Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and right before draining, pour and submerge spinach in with the pasta (it should wilt almost instantly). Drain pasta and spinach.
• Mix feta mixture: Smash the tomatoes, garlic, oil and feta together with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add pasta and herbs: Toss pasta in mixture along with basil, parsley and red pepper flakes.
• Thin and season: Thin mixture with a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

TIPS FOR MAKING BAKED FETA PASTA

• Use the freshest ingredients possible. With such minimal ingredients, I highly recommend using fresh cherry tomatoes (not canned diced tomatoes), fresh basil, and fresh minced garlic. And extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference here – it’s essentially what makes up the sauce!
• Save the pasta water. Whenever I cook pasta, I like to save ½ a cup of pasta water just in case the pasta dish comes out dry. I didn’t use it here, but you can certainly add it if you feel the baked feta pasta needs more sauce. And in general, it will help the sauce be more smooth and creamy.
• Crowd the baking dish with the cherry tomatoes. The rule with roasting cherry tomatoes is if you want them saucy, crowed the pan; if you want them dry roasted, place in a single layer to allow for air circulation. We want saucy here, and I found than an 8″x11″ baking dish works perfectly!
• Increase the heat for blistered tomatoes. You can set the oven to broil for 2 minutes at the end or turn the temperature to 450°F during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Try it on the stovetop. You can cook this on the stovetop over medium-low heat. It takes only 10 minutes and pretty similar results.
• Personally my favorite feta to use here is Murray’s brand if you can find it. It’s pricey but worth it. It has great flavor and melts more smoothly.
• Do not use crumbled feta! Block feta is the only way to go in this recipe. You don’t want any of that powdery coating and the whole block will hold up far better to roasting. Also avoid low-fat feta which won’t melt as well or taste quite as good.
• Don’t be skimpy with the olive oil. We want a rich sauce and no dry pasta so this is key. Be generous with the tomatoes. They bring a lot of fresh flavor here and a light sweetness to balance the tang. Use 2 boxes, not just 1.
• Cook pasta just to al dente for the best texture. When tossed with the warm sauce it will soak it up and soften a tad more.
• Try to time the pasta to finish around the same time as feta and tomatoes will be done in the oven. This is so the pasta is added warm and also so it doesn’t just sit and stick together.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Can you make this with crumbled feta cheese? Yes, it will still work with crumbled feta, make sure to keep the feta stacked in the middle so that it creates a melty consistency together. Can there be other variants? Yes! Why not here are some of the variants

• Use the pasta you have. Campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi are great options.
• Add a protein. You can mix in some cooked meat at the end – chicken, ground beef or ground turkey would be good options.
• Try another veggie in place of spinach. Good options would be asparagus, broccoli, frozen artichoke hearts or zucchini (just keep in mind cooking time will vary).
• If you are trying to reduce the carbs try with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Can you make this with any other type of cheese?
• I tried it with goat cheese too and it creates a creamy perfect texture, but cooking time may be less depending on how large the block of cheese is. I’ve also heard success using high quality full fat ricotta.

What is the best type of pasta to use in this recipe? I have seen this made with penne, spaghetti, bow-tie and the works. I really don’t think there’s a wrong shape of pasta to use. However, I do like something with curves or edges so that the sauce can cling on to more of the pasta. How long does this keep? In my opinion this pasta is best served the day it’s made if you are picky about the texture, just because the pasta will soften as it sits (as with just any pasta coated in sauce). But the taste is still great so I do safe leftovers if we have them. Refrigerating: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing: It can be frozen for up to 2 months.