Baked Vegan Feta Tomato Pasta
This baked Vegan Feta Tomato Pasta is one of my favorite easy meals to make with cherry tomatoes, vegan feta, and fresh basil. It’s packed with Mediterranean flavor and I can have it on the table in under an hour. My kids love it too, which makes dinner a whole lot easier.
Servings: 5
Calories: 389kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes 22 Ounces
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt , optional (see note)
- Drizzle of olive oil to bake , or broth if oil free
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles , homemade or store bought (see note)
- 12 ounces uncooked pasta of choice , gluten-free if needed
- ½ cup sliced basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper , optional for spice
To serve:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F/ 205 C
- Add tomatoes, garlic, salt (if using), olive oil and crushed red pepper (if using) to a 9 x 12 baking dish. Mix around to combine.
- Add the feta to the center on top of the tomatoes.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until tomatoes are bursting.
- While baking, cook the pasta. Strain and reserve ¼ to ½ cup pasta water.
- Once the tomatoes are done, add the pasta to the baking dish and toss well. Add the reserved pasta water ¼ cup at a time until you get the consistency you prefer.
- Fold in the fresh basil.
- Top with Parmesan and serve!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making this vegan feta pasta is to toss the cooked pasta in while everything’s still hot from the oven. The first time I made it and tried to let things cool while I dealt with a snack emergency from my kids. Big mistake! When you mix it hot, the cheese melts right into the tomatoes and garlic, and the pasta absorbs all that delicious flavor.
- Salt to taste: I always taste before adding salt since the feta can be salty enough on its own. I remind myself it’s easy to add more but impossible to take it out once it’s in.
- Cook the pasta while baking: I usually cook the pasta while the tomatoes and cheese are in the oven. If I prep ahead, I store the pasta and pasta water separately to keep it fresh.
- Use the right dish: I use a 9 by 12 baking dish and skip the extra prep. The olive oil from the tomatoes keeps things from sticking just fine.
- Make it oil-free: If I want to skip the oil, I just swap it out for veggie broth.
- Reserve extra pasta water: I always save more than ¼ cup of pasta water, just in case I want to adjust the sauce’s thickness.
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 566mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 828IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 10mg