Baked feta pasta with tomatoes and broccolini with gooey feta, healthy butter beans, and yummy lemon and basil oil.
We had a big weekend away and I was craving something fresh, satisfying and packed with healthy vegetables. This dinner is ready in just 8 steps, takes half an hour, and is so simple.
You just pop feta and tomatoes on a baking tray (I used vine-ripened tomatoes but I kind of regretted it later when I had to pick the tomatoes off the vine - I’d recommend using plain old cherry tomatoes). Pop that in a hot oven, and meanwhile prep the rest of your vegetables.
We’ll add the chopped veggies and butter beans to the tray, drizzle over oil from our sundried tomatoes and pop back in the oven. I used butter beans but you could also use chickpeas, cannellini beans, or any other beans you have to hand.
While the pasta is cooking, we’ll make our deliciously delectable basil oil - just whizz up some basil, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To serve, we’ll mix spinach through the pasta (to get in those extra greens), top with the baked tray of goodness, and mix through. Drizzle over basil oil and sprinkle over lemon zest and you have a nutritious and delicious dinner.
What's in this Baked Feta Pasta?
- Feta - the hero of the dish! I like a creamy feta for this, like Danish feta.
- Vegetables - baby tomatoes, garlic, broccolini, zucchini, butter beans, sundried tomatoes, baby spinach
- Pasta - Use a short pasta like penne or farfalle - this is easier to toss through.
- Basil oil - Olive oil, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Will feta cheese melt in oven?
The cheese will become a little soft but it will not melt, not like what you expect from other cheeses. This makes it perfect for this recipe, because we can top with garlic and oil and it will absorb those flavours.
How to make Baked Feta Pasta
1. Preheat the oven to 200 C. Get out a baking tray.
2. Put a pot of water on to boil.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the tray. Place feta in the centre and surround with tomatoes. Sprinkle over salt and pepper (opt.). Place in the oven for 8 minutes.
Option to reserve some tomatoes for your child now.
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 200g feta
- 200g baby tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
4. Peel and roughly chop garlic. Trim and slice broccolini. Cut zucchini into half moons. Drain beans. Zest and juice lemon. Chop sundried tomatoes, reserving oil.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 zucchini
- 400g can butter beans
- 1 lemon
- 80g sundried tomatoes
5. Take the tray out of the oven and add garlic, broccolini, zucchini, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle over oil from the sundried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper (opt.). Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 zucchini
- 400g can butter beans
- 80g sundried tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
6. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for a minute less than indicated on the packet, then drain.
- 350g short pasta
7. Place basil in a small chopper or blender. Add oil from sundried tomatoes (supplement with olive oil if needed), lemon juice, salt and pepper (opt.). Whizz until you get a simple basil oil.
- ½ bunch basil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
8. To serve kids, serve pasta with some fresh tomatoes and cooked veggies, as well as a bit of feta if they like it.
To serve adults, mix spinach through pasta in a serving bowl, then add baked feta and veggies. Toss to mix. Drizzle with basil oil and lemon zest.
- 100g baby spinach
- Zest of 1 lemon
Top tip
My favourite thing to do is use the oil from your sundried tomatoes in place of olive oil. It’s already packed with rich tomato flavours and gives such a beautiful layer to this dinner. You can also add any antipasto ingredients you happen to have to hand - olives, capers, artichokes, stuffed peppers, they’d all be delicious.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - You could pan fry some chicken or use BBQ chicken to go with this.
- Vegetarian - Swap the beans for any other beans you like, or even add some nuts for some crunch.
- Dairy Free - Use dairy free feta, or skip the feta and add dairy free shredded parmesan at the end.
- Gluten Free - Use gluten free pasta.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Reserve some fresh tomatoes.
- Serve plain pasta, fresh sliced tomatoes and some veggies from the tray (before you mix through).
- Skip the feta if they don’t like it, and basil oil and lemon zest.
Equipment
You will need an oven, a baking tray, a pot, a stovetop, a mini food processor or blender.
More Pasta recipes
If you're looking for some more pasta recipes, you can see all of them here. My favourites are the creamy Penne alla Vodka, and this Mushroom Pappardelle with an Asian Twist.
Recipe
Baked Feta Pasta
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking tray
- Pot
- Stovetop
- Mini food-processor or blender
Ingredients
- Olive oil 2.5 tbsp
- 200 g feta
- 200 g baby tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 zucchini
- 1 can butter beans 400g
- 1 lemon
- 80 g sundried tomatoes
- 350 g short pasta
- ½ bunch basil
- 100 g baby spinach
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C. Get out a baking tray.
- Put a pot of water on to boil.
- Drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil on the tray. Place feta in the centre and surround with tomatoes. Sprinkle over salt and pepper (opt.). Place in the oven for 8 minutes.Option to reserve some tomatoes for your child now.Olive oil, 200 g feta, 200 g baby tomatoes, Salt and pepper
- Peel and roughly chop garlic. Trim and slice broccolini. Cut zucchini into half moons. Drain beans. Zest and juice lemon. Chop sundried tomatoes, reserving oil.3 cloves garlic, 1 bunch broccolini, 1 zucchini, 1 can butter beans, 1 lemon, 80 g sundried tomatoes
- Take the tray out of the oven and add garlic, broccolini, zucchini, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle over 2 teaspoons oil from the sundried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper (opt.). Return to the oven for 15 minutes.Olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 bunch broccolini, 1 zucchini, 1 can butter beans, 80 g sundried tomatoes, Salt and pepper
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook for a minute less than indicated on the packet, then drain.350 g short pasta
- Place basil in a small chopper or blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil from sundried tomatoes (supplement with olive oil if needed), lemon juice, salt and pepper (opt.). Whizz until you get a simple basil oil.Olive oil, 1 lemon, ½ bunch basil, Salt and pepper
- To serve kids, serve pasta with some fresh tomatoes and cooked veggies, as well as a bit of feta if they like it.To serve adults, mix spinach through pasta in a serving bowl, then add baked feta and veggies. Toss to mix. Drizzle with basil oil and lemon zest.100 g baby spinach, 1 lemon
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