Name: Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 (5-ounce) block feta cheese; 8 cups lightly packed baby spinach (about 5 ounces); 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 large cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon dried dill; 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.25 teaspoon ground pepper; 8 ounces penne or rotini; 2 cups boiling water

Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta

4.3

(4)

4 Reviews

Feta softens in the oven before it's combined with spinach and pasta, with the pasta cooking right in the baking dish. Enjoy this one-pan pasta with feta dish on its own as a vegetarian main or serve with sautéed chicken breast for a boost of protein.

Carolyn Casner

Updated on September 20, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Active Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

Egg Free Nut-Free Soy-Free Vegetarian

Jump to Nutrition Facts

How to Make Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta

This one-pan baked feta pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner. This simple recipe is made even easier by cooking the pasta in the baking dish. Here's how to make it:

Bake the Feta

We start by baking a block of feta cheese in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish until softened. Baked feta is the creamy, tangy and flavorful base of this recipe.

Prepare the Spinach

While the feta is baking, combine the baby spinach, olive oil, garlic, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Massage the spinach until it's reduced in volume by half. Massaging the spinach helps break down the vegetable's fibrous texture, leaving the leaves with a softer texture, which makes it easier to combine with the dried pasta.

Bake the Pasta

Next, we add the spinach and pasta mixture to the baking dish with the baked feta. Boiling water is poured over the mixture, which will cook the pasta in the baking dish. It's important to cover the baking dish tightly with foil to keep the heat and moisture in so that the pasta cooks through. Bake until the pasta is tender, which only takes about 18 minutes. Once it's baked, stir the pasta, cover and let it sit for 3 minutes before serving. This ensures the pasta has absorbed all the moisture from baking.

Additional reporting by Jan Valdez

Ingredients

1 (5-ounce) block feta cheese
8 cups lightly packed baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
8 ounces penne or rotini
2 cups boiling water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place feta in the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until softened and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine spinach, oil, garlic, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the spinach until it's reduced in volume by half. Stir in pasta.
After the feta has baked for 15 minutes, add the spinach and pasta mixture to the baking dish. Pour boiling water over the mixture and gently stir. Cover with foil and bake until the pasta is tender, about 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Cover and let stand for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Jason Donnelly

Equipment

9-by-13-inch baking dish

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

394	Calories
19g	Fat
45g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Serving Size 1 1/4 cups
Calories 394
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 45g	16%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 14g	28%
Total Fat 19g	24%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Vitamin A 2458IU	49%
Sodium 480mg	21%
Potassium 286mg	6%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.