Baked Feta Pasta

This recipe went viral a couple of years ago, but this is my first time trying it… and it definitely won’t be the last. The meal was originally made popular by @feelgoodfoodie, who has so many great recipes. She has also continued to modify by adding different proteins (chicken, shrimp, etc.), and I modified to add more vegetables! The dish was fun and easy to prepare - there was only one baking dish used! The ingredients below easily made 4 servings for me - great for dinner and leftovers!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes

- 2 zucchini squashes (I chose two smaller ones)

- 2 bell peppers

- 1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese (I used Boars Head)

- Avocado oil (I always use Chosen Foods)

- Salt (I prefer using Pink Himalayan salt)

- Black pepper

- Garlic cloves, minced (I like using Trader Joe's minced garlic)

- Italian Seasoning or Dried basil (or you could use fresh basil, if you have it)

- ½ bag of Kroger's Private Selection Italian Rigatoni

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash, cut and prepare vegetables. Place all the chopped vegetables in an oven-safe dish (I used my Le Creuset 4-qt. casserole baking dish). Pour the avocado oil on top, and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning or dried basil. Toss until well combined.

2. Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the vegetables, and flip a couple of times to coat it with the avocado oil and seasoning. Spread the minced garlic on top of the feta block.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts.

4. While the vegetables and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid in case you’d like to toss it in later.

5. Remove the dish from the oven, and spread the melted feta cheese throughout the cooked vegetables.

6. Transfer the cooked pasta, any reserved pasta water you’d like to mix in, and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil (if you have it) and enjoy!

Some of the items and ingredients I used can be found under the 'Items I Love' tab. They are all links through my Amazon Associate account, and I would love for you to try them out yourself!