This feta pesto pasta is a super quick and super easy recipe. All you need are a few tasty ingredients and about half an hour.
I make this feta pesto pasta with tomatoes and basil all the time. Really, no kidding! It's such a reliable recipe, and everyone is always happy when I make it. And I always seem to have the ingredients ready, so I don't even have to do any shopping before cooking it.
I always have pasta in the pantry, feta in the fridge, tomatoes on the counter, and my freezer is full of homemade pesto. Basil might be an issue, but rarely. I often have a large pot on the windowsill and lots of it in the garden in summer. And if I don't have any? Well, I leave it out or use a little dried basil. The pasta dish is still delicious.
If you love pesto as much as I do, try this Easy Ricotta Pesto Pasta or the Creamy Pesto Gnocchi. Both are just as easy to make.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Ingredients: 6 + oil, salt & pepper | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Pesto: Use your favorite kind. Classic basil pesto is always great, but I often use other kinds of homemade pesto, like wild garlic, sage, or lovage. In this case, I often skip the fresh basil so the flavors don't clash too much.
Feta: Use a good-quality block of feta, not already crumbled feta. It tastes better and is usually creamier.
Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes. I roast them most of the time, but if you don't have the time or don't feel like doing that, just add some fresh ones to the dish before serving. You'll still love it. If you have more tomatoes to use up, try this Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce.
Basil: As mentioned above, fresh basil is great if you have it. If not, leave it out.
See the recipe card for detailed instructions and full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make feta pesto pasta?
Step #1: Halve the tomatoes, mix them with oil and seasonings, and roast them for 15 minutes, gently tossing halfway through.
Step #2: In the meantime, cook the pasta. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the rest. Return the pasta to the pot and mix with pesto and about half of the reserved water. Add a bit more water only if necessary.
Step #3: Crumble the feta with your hands directly into the pot. Toss gently.
Step #4: Toss the pasta with about ¾ of the roasted tomatoes, all their cooking juices, and most of the torn basil. Serve with the remaining tomatoes and more basil on top. You can also sprinkle the dish with Parmesan.
Tips
Salt the pasta water generously: It really makes a difference in taste. A good starting point is about 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt per gallon (4 liters) of water.
Don't rinse the pasta: The starch left on the pasta helps the pesto cling to it. The reserved cooking water also helps loosen the pesto and coat the pasta evenly.
Add the feta: Toss it in gently so you still have little pieces of feta throughout the pasta instead of completely breaking it down into the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerate: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: Warm them gently in the microwave, adding a splash of water if the pasta seems dry.
Serve cold: You can also serve the leftovers at room temperature as a kind of pasta salad.
- If you enjoy pasta salads, try this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad next time.
What to serve it with?
I often make a big green salad with vinaigrette dressing. Otherwise, you can serve it with Walnut Cranberry Bread, Air Fryer Asparagus in spring, or Celeriac Coleslaw in winter.
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📖 Recipe
Feta Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Medium baking dish
- Large pot for cooking the pasta
Ingredients
Roasted tomatoes:
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes Note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta:
- 1 lb pasta Note 2
- â…” cup basil pesto Note 3
- 7 oz feta cheese from a block not pre-crumbled
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves
- freshly grated Parmesan optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Roast the tomatoes: Halve the tomatoes and place them in the baking dish. Toss with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, gently stirring halfway through.1 lb cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes + 1 tablespoon olive oil + ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cook the pasta while the tomatoes are roasting. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.1 lb pasta
- Add the pesto: Return the drained pasta to the empty pot. Add the pesto and about half of the reserved pasta water. Toss well to combine, adding more of the remaining water only if necessary.⅔ cup basil pesto + about ½ of the reserved pasta water
- Add the feta and basil: Crumble the feta directly into the pot with your hands. Toss gently to combine.7 oz feta cheese
- Add the tomatoes: Add about ¾ of the roasted tomatoes and all their cooking juices. Tear most of the basil into the pot. Toss gently to combine.¾ of the tomatoes and all their juices + most of ¾ cup fresh basil leaves
- Serve immediately, topped with the remaining roasted tomatoes and fresh basil. Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmesan if you like.freshly grated Parmesan
Notes
- Tomatoes: Use any kind of small tomatoes you like. If you don't have the time or don't want to roast them, simply halve them and add them to the finished dish before serving.
- Pasta: I used spaghetti this time, but I've made this dish with all kinds of pasta, both short and long shapes. Use whatever you have.
- Pesto: I often use homemade basil pesto, but store-bought is perfectly fine, too. Use whichever you prefer. If you're using pesto made with other herbs, you can leave out the fresh basil so the flavors don't clash.
- Basil: If you don't have fresh basil, use a little dried basil or leave it out completely.
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