Festive pasta with baked feta, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and spinach for an easy, colorful meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dairy
01 - 7 oz feta cheese block
→ Vegetables
02 - 18 oz whole cherry tomatoes
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 3.5 oz baby spinach
06 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Pasta
08 - 10.5 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)
→ Herbs & Seasonings
09 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn (for garnish)
# Steps:
01 - Set the oven to 400°F (200°C) to preheat.
02 - Place the feta cheese block in the center of a large ovenproof baking dish; surround it with cherry tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, and minced garlic.
03 - Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the vegetables and feta. Sprinkle oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes if desired, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss the vegetables, keeping the feta block centered.
04 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and the feta is golden and soft.
05 - While baking, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about ⅓ cup (100 ml) of pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven and add baby spinach and lemon zest to the baked ingredients.
07 - Add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water to the baking dish. Stir thoroughly until the feta melts and coats the pasta evenly with a creamy sauce.
08 - Taste the pasta mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and serve the dish warm.
