Baked Feta Pasta Veggies (View Print Version)

Wholesome baked feta paired with roasted vegetables and whole-grain pasta for a vibrant, light dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz reduced-fat feta cheese block

→ Vegetables

02 - 14 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

→ Pasta

12 - 10.5 oz whole-grain penne or fusilli

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - In a large baking dish, combine halved cherry tomatoes, diced zucchini, diced red bell pepper, and sliced red onion. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with dried oregano, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the vegetables and drizzle a little olive oil over it.
04 - Roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized and feta is soft and golden.
05 - While roasting, cook whole-grain pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven. Add minced garlic to the hot vegetables and feta. Gently mash the feta and mix everything until creamy and well combined.
07 - Add cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to the baking dish. Toss gently until pasta is coated with the creamy feta and vegetable sauce.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One baking dish means almost no cleanup, and somehow that makes everything taste better.
  • The feta melts into a creamy sauce without any cream, which feels like a small kitchen magic trick.
  • It's ready in 40 minutes, but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—those starchy few tablespoons are what transform loose ingredients into a proper creamy sauce.
  • Add the garlic after roasting, not before, or it'll burn and taste bitter instead of sweet and mellow.
  • Mash the feta gently rather than stirring frantically; you want creamy pockets of cheese throughout, not uniform mush.
03 -
  • Use a baking dish with shallow sides rather than deep ones so the vegetables caramelize instead of steaming in their own moisture.
  • If your feta is very salty, soak it in cold water for 15 minutes before cooking—it makes a noticeable difference in the final balance.
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