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Veggie Pasta with Baked Feta

Veggie pasta with baked feta is an easy Mediterranean pasta dinner where a caramelized feta block melts into a velvety sauce. Roasted cherry tomatoes and summer vegetables collapse and turn glossy once you mash the feta and toss with penne or rotini.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Veggie Pasta with Baked Feta
  • 8 oz feta cheese 1 block
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 red onion small, quartered
  • 5 clove garlic whole
  • 1 cup olive oil divided; 1/3 cup for roasting plus extra for serving
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 cracked black pepper to taste
  • 12 oz penne or rotini pasta cooked and reserved 1 cup pasta water
  • 1 cup pasta water reserved from cooking
  • 1 fresh basil for serving
  • 1 extra olive oil for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast 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 and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and cracked black pepper.
  3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the feta is golden and creamy at the edges and the tomatoes have burst and caramelized, with visible bubbling around the feta.
Make the chunky feta tomato sauce
  1. Use a fork to mash the baked feta and stir it into the roasted vegetables to form a chunky sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water if it looks too thick.
Toss and serve
  1. Add the cooked penne or rotini to the baking dish and toss to coat the pasta in the feta tomato sauce until glossy.
  2. Drizzle with extra olive oil and scatter fresh basil over the top, then serve immediately.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, mash the feta while it’s hot so it breaks down quickly into the vegetables; if the mixture seizes, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the feta sauce can become grainy after thawing. For a vegetarian-friendly swap, use any dairy-free feta alternative that melts well, and keep the roasting time the same to achieve bubbling at the edges.