Zesty Baked Feta Pasta
 
 
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces Feta cheese
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 1 head garlic
  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for finish
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces radiatori or other short pasta
  • ½ cup torn fresh basil
  • 2 Calabrian chiles in oil, removed from oil and roughly chopped
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • toasted bread crumbs (for topping, optional, see notes)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Feta cheese and tomatoes in a 9" square baking dish. Cut about ¼ inch off the top of the head of garlic and nestle in the baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and honey and season with oregano, chili flakes and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes and then remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out roasted garlic and return to baking dish.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked pasta to baking dish with Feta cheese, tomatoes and garlic.
  3. Add basil, Calabrian chiles and lemon zest and stir to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Drizzle with olive oil and top with toasted bread crumbs, if using.
Notes
To make toasted bread crumbs, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup fresh bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, stirring halfway through. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at https://www.twoofakindcooks.com/zesty-baked-feta-pasta/