What Can I Make With Feta Cheese and Pasta

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This Lightened Up Baked Feta Pasta Bake was inspired by TikTok's famous baked feta pasta- this version is lightened up and simple to make-packed with so much goodness- melted feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, white cooking wine, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil-then baked to perfection!

What is Baked Feta Pasta?

If you've been on TikTot lately, you may have come across variations of baked feta pasta by Finnish blogger Jenni Häyrinen. I couldn't resist recreating the viral recipe and making aWW friendly version. The original viral feta pasta recipe consists of good amount of olive oil. I personally think this version is insanely delicious-all while using a smaller amount of olive oil. I incorporated a little amount of white cooking wine in place of some olive oil to help lower the points.

What ingredients do I need to make this Baked Feta Pasta?

Pasta– any pasta works. I love using my new favorite pasta-Fiber Gourmet Pasta– or Barilla Plus pasta. The Fiber Gourmet Pasta is lower in points and tastes amazing! You could swap out the pasta and use cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. If you're following the purple plan using whole wheat pasta would be perfect-making it a zero point option.
Feta Cheese– block feta cheese is best and melts nicely-that's because the block is less processed and will give a more melty consistency when baked. If you can't find the block feta cheese- you can use crumbled feta. Regular, reduced fat, and fat free feta would work. President Cheese brand makes a fat free chunk feta cheese. You can search HERE to find the nearest store that carries it.
Cherry Tomatoes– these work best. I like to use the variety of mixed colored cherry tomatoes.
Garlic–minced. Fresh is best. You could also use minced jarred garlic.
Basil– fresh basil works best.
Salt and Pepper- to taste.
Red Pepper Flakes –for a little flavor. This is optional and can be omitted.
Olive Oil – Any olive oil will work. I use extra virgin olive oil and for this lightened up version I use 2 Tbsp.
Dry White Cooking Wine – I add dry white wine to compensate for the small amount of olive oil used which takes this dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.

What kind of pasta do you recommend?

I've recently discovered Fiber Gourmet Pasta. It's my NEW favorite low point pasta! It's Kosher, Vegan certified, non-GMO, and has zero artificial colors or flavoring-with only 17 net carbs vs. 41g, only 100 calories vs. 210 calories, & an astounding 25g of fiber vs. for a 2g serving of regular pasta. I'm telling you, it has the same great taste, texture but with more fiber, fewer calories, and 1/2 the points than regular pasta! You just can't go wrong with the Fiber Gourmet Pasta- now it's a little more expensive but it's so worth it to me to and it may be worth it to you!!

You can find all their products online HERE.

Another great option is the Barilla Plus pasta, which can be found at most grocery stores or HERE on Amazon in an 8 pack- its also high in protein and lower in points than most regular pasta. And if you are following the myWW purple plan you may want to use whole wheat since it's zero points on that plan.

What other ingredients can I add to this Baked Feta Pasta?

Chicken-cooked skinless boneless chicken breast-cut into bite size pieces or shredded rotisserie chicken. Just toss it in at the very end with the cooked pasta for some added protein! If you're following the blue and purple plan- it's a zero point addition and bulks it up!
Italian sausage-cooked and crumbled.
Shrimp-cooked.
Mushrooms-sliced.
Zucchini-sliced and chopped.
Red peppers-thinly sliced.

How do I make this Baked Feta Pasta?

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the block of feta cheese in the center of a 9×13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.

Arrange cherry tomatoes around the cheese.

Drizzle the olive oil and white cooking wine over the tomatoes and feta cheese, ensuring the tomatoes have been tossed with a little bit of oil.

Sprinkle the top of the feta with minced garlic, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

After it's baked for 35 minutes, turn the broiler on high and broil for 2-4 minutes or until the top of the feta has a golden crust to it and tomatoes begin to blister.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente per the package directions. I recommend adding a bit of salt to the water for added flavor.

I recommend reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to add into the feta tomato mixture pasta to help thin out the sauce.

Drain and set aside.

Mash feta and tomatoes using the back of a fork.

Add the cooked pasta and/or 1 cup cooked chicken pieces, shredded rotisserie chicken,shrimp, or Italian sausage crumbles, for additional points, and if you desire.

Add some reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if needed.

Stir until ingredients are well combined.

Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Ingredients:

16 oz. or 1 lb. uncooked pasta- I use Fiber Gourmet or Barilla Plus pasta-but any pasta will work or even cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp dry white cooking wine
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, preferably different colors
8 oz. feta -block/chunk * see notes
2 cloves or 2 tsp garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the block of feta cheese in the center of a 9×13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.
Arrange cherry tomatoes around the cheese.
Drizzle the olive oil and white cooking wine over the tomatoes and feta cheese, ensuring the tomatoes have been tossed with a little bit of oil.
Sprinkle the top of the feta with minced garlic, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
After it's baked for 35 minutes, turn the broiler on high and broil for 2-4 minutes or until the top of the feta has a golden crust to it and tomatoes begin to blister and pop.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente per the package directions. I recommend adding a bit of salt to the water for added flavor. I recommend reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to add into the feta tomato mixture pasta to help thin out the sauce.
Drain and set aside.
Mash feta and tomatoes using the back of a fork.
Add the cooked pasta and/or 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage crumbles, for additional points, if desired.
If sauce is too thick, feel free to add some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce out.
Stir until ingredients are well combined. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Makes 8 ( 1 and 1/4 cup) serving which includes 1 cup cooked penne pasta and 1/4 cup feta/tomato mixture

2-9 PersonalPoints™ per serving*

*This number shows the PersonalPoints™ range. The points will vary based on your individualized plan.

How do I know how many points this is on my WW individualized plan?

Click the link below to go to the recipe builder. You'll first need to sign into your WW account and then the recipe builder will upload. Be sure to edit the recipe with any ingredients that you use that are different. The recipe builder is the most accurate way to create, obtain, and track the Personal Points on your individualized plan.

*The recipe builder link only works for WW members located in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, you'll need to access the WW app manually to create the recipe in the recipe builder.

Author Notes:

2 oz. uncooked equals about 1 cup cooked or about 5 oz. cooked.
Block or chunk feta cheese works best and melts nicely. That's because the block is less processed and will give a more melty consistency when baked. If you can't find the block feta cheese- you can use crumbled feta.
Regular, reduced fat, and fat free feta would work. President Cheese brand makes a fat free chunk feta cheese. You can search HERE to find the nearest store that carries it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can add a bit of chicken broth if the pasta is a bit dry prior to reheating.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

16 oz. or 1 lb. uncooked pasta- I use fiber gourmet or barilla plus pasta-but any pasta will work or even cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp dry white cooking wine
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, preferably different colors
8 oz. feta-chunk/block *see notes
2 cloves or 2 tsp garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the block of feta cheese in the center of a 9x13-inch or 3-quart baking dish. Arrange cherry tomatoes around the cheese.
Drizzle the olive oil and white cooking wine over the tomatoes and feta cheese, ensuring the tomatoes have been tossed with a little bit of oil.
Sprinkle the top of the feta with minced garlic, fresh basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
After it's baked for 35 minutes, turn the broiler on high and broil for 2-4 minutes or until the top of the feta has a golden crust to it and tomatoes begin to blister and pop.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente per the package directions. I recommend adding a bit of salt to the water for added flavor. I recommend reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to add into the feta tomato mixture pasta to help thin out the sauce.
Drain and set aside.
Mash feta and tomatoes using the back of a fork.
Add the cooked pasta and/or 1 cup cooked chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage crumbles, for additional points and if desired.
If sauce is too thick, feel free to add some reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if desired.
Stir until ingredients are well combined. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Makes 8 ( 1 and 1/4 cup) servings /serving includes 1 cup cooked penne pasta and 1/4 cup feta/tomato mixture

2-9 PersonalPoints™ per serving*

*This number shows the PersonalPoints™ range. The points will vary based on your individualized plan.

Notes

2 oz uncooked equals about 1 cup cooked or about 5 oz cooked.
Block or chunk feta cheese works best and melts nicely. That's because the block is less processed and will give a more melty consistency when baked. If you can't find the block feta cheese- you can use crumbled feta. Regular, reduced fat, and fat free feta would work. President Cheese brand makes a fat free chunk feta cheese. You can search HERE to find the nearest store that carries it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can add a bit of chicken broth if the pasta is a bit dry prior to reheating.

Smartpoints: GREEN/BLUE:

2 smartpoints if using fat free feta cheese and spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
3 smartpoints if using reduced fat feta cheese and spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
4 smartpoints if using regular feta and spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
5 smartpoints if using Fiber Gourmet pasta and fat free feta
6 smartpoints if using Fiber Gourmet pasta and reduced fat feta
7 smartpoints if using Fiber Gourmet pasta and regular feta
7 smartpoints if using Barilla Plus Pasta and fat free feta
8 smartpoints if using Barilla Plus and reduced fat feta
9 smartpoints per serving if using Barilla Plus pasta and regular feta

PURPLE:

2 smartpoints if using whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash and fat free feta cheese or zucchini noodles
4 smartpoints if using whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash and reduced fat feta cheese or zucchini noodles
5 smartpoints if using regular feta add whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles

Nutrition Information

Yield

8
Amount Per Serving Calories 238 Total Fat 9g Saturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 15mg Sodium 484mg Carbohydrates 48g Net Carbohydrates 27g Fiber 21g Sugar 3g Protein 14g

Do not use the WW nutritional calculator to calculate points. The nutritional calculator does take zero point food ingredients into consideration and will not be accurate. Personal Point values and nutritional information is estimated and calculated using the brand of ingredients listed in the recipe. PersonalPoints values may vary depending on the brand of ingredients used and depending on your customized zero point foods list.

What Can I Make With Feta Cheese and Pasta

Source: https://thepounddropper.com/lightened-up-baked-feta-pasta-bake-tiktok-recipe/