Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 pintss cherry tomatoes
• 0.5 cups sliced red bell pepper
• 0.5 cups sliced red onion
• 0.5 cups olive oil
• 4 cloves peeled garlic , or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 0.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 0.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoons dried basil
• 0.25 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 package feta cheese , 8 ounce
• 1 package penne pasta , 12 ounce
• 1 cup baby spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. 2

   Combine cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Italian seasoning, basil, and sea salt in a 13x9-inch baking dish.

3. 3

   Make room in the middle of the pan and add block of feta cheese. Flip in oil, making sure cheese remains intact and becomes well coated.

4. 4

   Bake in the preheated oven until the cherry tomatoes begin to blister and split, 40 to 45 minutes.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

6. 6

   Remove feta-tomato mixture from the oven. Mash garlic, tomatoes, onions, and peppers with a heavy spoon and mix with the feta cheese, creating a sauce. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta. The spinach will get cooked from the heat of the pasta sauce and pasta. Add pasta water, a little at a time if needed, to reach desired consistency. Mix well and serve.