Quick & Easy Baked Feta Pasta with Shrimp

I have to admit, I might be obsessed with baked feta pasta.

It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner for any season, and it’s positively PACKED with veggies.

The most work you’ll do here is the prep - slicing the veggies. I like to keep the bell peppers and onions in long slices, while I cube the zucchini, and leave the cherry tomatoes whole. (They’re generally my litmus test of how I know the other veggies are done - once the tomatoes burst, everything else is cooked perfectly.)

I like to use a 6-8oz block of herbed feta for this dish. You can, of course, use regular feta if that’s what you prefer - I just like the extra flavor addition the herbed feta provides. I keep the seasoning fairly simple, I drizzle the veggies with 1 tbsp EVOO, throw in a couple of whole garlic cloves (yes, whole! Tiny garlic pieces will likely burn.) season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and dried basil.

The whole pan goes into a 375 degree oven for roughly 30-40 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to burst. Make sure you stir them around about every 10-15 minutes, while trying not to bother the block of feta. The feta should stay whole until it comes out of the oven!

While that’s cooking, defrost and cook 1.5 - 2lbs extra large or jumbo shrimp in a separate skillet. Shrimp only takes 3 minutes to cook, so this can be one of the LAST things you do before taking the veggies out of the oven.

For your pasta preference, you can use any shape you like (yes, ANY shape). I love to use chickpea penne for the added fiber and protein! Just make sure you cook it according to package directions, and do NOT overcook it (or it’ll be mush). Before you drain the pasta, reserve roughly 1 cup of the starchy, salty cooking liquid - this is going to help make the sauce for the pasta nice and creamy.

Once the feta and veggies come out of the oven, add the spinach and a little of the hot cooking water at a time into the dish with the veggies and give it a good stir. You can keep adding water, a little at a time, as needed until you get a creamy consistency.

Add your cooked shrimp and pasta, top with parsley (if you have it), and it’s time to enjoy!

Baked Feta Pasta with Shrimp

1.5 - 2lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tail removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes (any variety is fine, I like heirloom
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 large onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
2-3 cups spinach
6oz block herbed feta
12oz chickpea penne pasta
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp freeze dried basil
3-4 whole garlic cloves
1 tbsp EVOO
S&P to taste

1. Set oven to 375 degrees

2. Unwrap feta and place in the middle of a deep 13x9 pan. Place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, onion, bell peppers, and zucchini around the feta. Drizzle the veggies with EVOO. Season with red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.

3. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to burst. *Stir the vegetables every 10-15 minutes to keep them from burning, but make sure the feta block stays whole.

4. Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserving roughly 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

5. Sauté the shrimp in a separate skillet.

6. Remove the feta from the oven, add the spinach and a little of the cooking liquid at a time and stir until you reach your desired creaminess.

7. Add the shrimp and cooked pasta, and enjoy!

Macros per serving (1.5 cups)

Calories: 460-500
Protein: 34-38g
Carbs: 38-42g
Fat: 16-18g