Baked Feta Pasta with Chorizo
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
491 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Baked Feta Pasta with Chorizo
Description
The Baked Feta Pasta with Chorizo starts by baking cherry tomatoes and spicy sliced peppers with olive oil until the tomatoes burst and the feta block softens and browns on top. This roasting mellows the peppers and intensifies the tomato sweetness while the feta becomes creamy and slightly caramelized at the edges. The separately cooked chorizo provides a rich and spicy counterpoint with its fat rendered off for balance.
The roasted mixture is stirred to form a rustic sauce that clings to the rigatoni or pasta of choice. Reserved pasta water is added to loosen the sauce and help it coat the pasta evenly. The dish blends creamy, spicy, and tangy flavors with a pleasing mix of textures from tender roasted vegetables, soft feta, and the chewy chorizo chunks.
This meal stands on its own but can be garnished with fresh herbs like thyme or basil to add brightness. The use of peppers purchased from a farmer’s market and the combination of spicy chorizo introduce complexity and a pleasant level of heat. It’s a hearty pasta dish that showcases baked feta’s rich, gooey texture alongside savory, spicy meat.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce cherub tomatoes or cherry tomatoes of your choosing, package naturesweet
- 2 peppers evil, spicy, of your choosing, sliced and seeds removed
- 1 ounce feta cheese block form
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 chorizo links or about ½ pound chorizo
- 10-12 ounces pasta (I used rigatoni)
- ½ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)
- salt to taste
- fresh herbs optional, garnish, like thyme or basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add 18 ounces of cherry tomatoes and two sliced peppers to a baking dish (I used a 7 ½ by 11 baking dish). Add almost all of the olive oil and toss to coat the tomatoes and peppers. Add a few pinches of salt, if desired.
- Nestle the feta in the center of the baking dish. Pour the rest of the olive oil directly over the top of the feta, making sure it’s completely covered.
- Add the baking dish to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be burst and to see some browning on the feta before you remove it from the oven.
- While the feta and tomatoes are baking, cook your chorizo over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until fully cooked. Strain off excess grease and set aside.
- You’ll also want to cook your pasta according to package directions. I used rigatoni and cooked until al dente. Save ½ cup of pasta water before straining.
- After 40-45 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir! It’s super satisfying mixing the feta into the roasted tomatoes.
- Add the cooked chorizo and cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated.
- You may need to add a little bit of pasta water at this time; I added nearly the full ½ cup to get the desired level of sauciness.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh herbs like thyme or basil.
Notes
- Peppers used were spicy green cayenne types purchased at a farmer's market; substituting with your preferred spicy or sweet peppers is possible.
- Chorizo used was purchased at a local deli; any spicy chorizo can be substituted.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 491 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 491kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 38g | 13% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Cholesterol | 56mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 437mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 178mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 461IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 27mg | 30% |
| Calcium | 205mg | 21% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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