By now, chances are we have all either tried or are aware of the viral TikTok trend that is feta pasta. Making it is easy enough – just bake the feta and cherry tomatoes until you can mash them together into a tangy, creamy pasta sauce. This Feta Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach amps up the already addictive quality of the trend by adding yogurt for texture and spinach for nutrients. The entire family is going to devour this one!
What is in this Feta Pasta
This meal can be on your table in 30 minutes, and the oven will do most of the work. Here is what you’ll need:
- 1 lb. of pasta
- quality feta cheese
- yogurt
- cherry tomatoes
- fresh spinach
- pepperoncini peppers
- extra virgin olive oil
- sugar
- dried oregano
The type of feta cheese you use for this recipe will really matter, as it is the primary flavor. We want big flavor! Go for a brick of feta cheese in brine (no crumbles), and don’t be afraid to pay a few extra dollars for a really great brand of Greek or Israeli feta. You can find my all-time favorite feta brand here.
For the yogurt, either plain or Greek yogurt will work. And yes, you can even go for the low fat version in this recipe.
How to make Feta Pasta with Tomatoes & Spinach
This feta pasta begins the same way that the TikTok trend does – in the oven. Bake the feta and tomatoes together in a baking dish.
But instead of mixing them together, we’re creating a sauce with the baked feta, yogurt and reserved pasta water. This will yield a tangy, velvety sauce to toss with your favorite kind of pasta.
Just before you serve this feta pasta, mix in the spinach. It will wilt almost immediately. Then use the roasted tomatoes as garnish.
Does feta cheese melt?
The short answer is no. Not completely. Feta cheese will get soft and spreadable when you bake or grill it, but it will not melt completely.
This is why I love adding yogurt and a little bit of starchy pasta water. It helps to smooth out the feta into a more cohesive sauce.
So, although Mini Me was annoyed that I snuck spinach into her beloved feta pasta, she still inhaled it. I won’t lie, it was hard to stop with this one! When you try it, I’d love to hear about it. Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more pasta recipes, try these:
- Pasta alla Vodka with Sweet Peas & Bacon
- Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce
- Pasta with Creamy Blush Sauce
For more recipes with feta cheese, try these:
- Shrimp & Spinach Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
- Greek Feta Dip with Pepperoncini
- Easy Heirloom Tomato & Feta Toasts
Feta Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mafaldine pasta
- 8 oz. feta cheese in brine
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the brick of feta and tomatoes into a small baking dish. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar and olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until tomatoes burst and feta is soft.
- While the feta is baking, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- Place the baked feta, yogurt and pepperoncinis into the pot. Stir until smooth. Add the pasta back in and coat with the feta sauce. Slowly add the reserved pasta water until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Before serving, stir in the spinach leaves until they wilt, 1-2 minutes. Garnish with the roasted tomatoes.
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