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Veggie Pasta with Baked Feta

Veggie pasta with baked feta: a Mediterranean-style feta block bakes until golden and creamy at the edges, then gets stirred into roasted cherry tomatoes and vegetables. Penne or rotini is tossed until glossy and velvety, using reserved pasta water for the right sauce texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Meditranean
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Feta and vegetables
  • 1 block (8 oz) feta cheese
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 small red onion
  • 5 clove garlic
  • 0.33 cup olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.25 cracked black pepper to taste
Pasta and finishing
  • 12 oz penne or rotini pasta cooked and reserved 1 cup pasta water
  • 1 cup pasta water reserved
  • 1 fresh basil for serving
  • 1 extra olive oil for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Bake the feta and vegetables
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the feta block in the center of a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Surround the feta with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic, then drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Season the dish with red pepper flakes, salt, and cracked black pepper.
  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the feta is golden and creamy at the edges and the tomatoes have burst and caramelized.
Mash into a chunky sauce
  1. Use a fork to mash the baked feta and stir it into the roasted vegetables, creating a chunky sauce.
  2. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce to a silky consistency.
Toss and serve
  1. Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to coat everything in the feta tomato sauce.
  2. Drizzle with extra olive oil, scatter fresh basil on top, and serve immediately.

Notes

For the smoothest, velvety coating, toss the pasta right away so it drinks in the tomato-feta juices; add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until glossy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat gently in a skillet or microwave with a splash of water. Freezing is not recommended because the feta can break when thawed. If you want a lighter option, use part-skim feta and keep the olive oil to the measured amount.