This baked feta pasta with zucchini and leeks is a fabulous dinner recipe! It's based on the viral baked feta and tomato pasta from TikTok, but this one has no tomato.
The recipe is easy to make - chop up your veggies and roast them with the feta for a creamy base. You can use any pasta noodle you like or have on hand!
Why You'll Love this Pasta
Baked feta is a real treat! It gets soft and creamy and combines oh-so-perfectly with the roasted vegetables.
While this recipe does take 35 minutes to bake, it's largely hands-off time.
It saves well in the refrigerator and makes 5 to 6 servings, so it's great to make ahead for lunches or to feed a crowd.
Ingredients for Baked Feta Zucchini Pasta
For this recipe you'll need 1 pound of chunky pasta. We used shells, but we've made this recipe with fusilli as well. Any shape will do!
You'll also need 2 medium zucchini, a leek, a shallot, several cloves of garlic, some olive oil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
I had pea tendrils on hand, so I used those as a topping, but you can also top this dish with parsley, fresh sage, more red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of lemon.
How to Make this Recipe
Roast the feta and veggies - Combine the feta, chopped vegetables, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Cook the pasta - Cook your pasta in very salty water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Combine - Add the feta and vegetables to the pasta and stir to combine. Top with any desired herbs and extra olive oil, then serve.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
Do you love a weeknight pasta recipe? We do, too! Check out some of our favorite veggie-heavy pasta dishes.
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta - a richly flavored and lightly spicy pasta.
- Broccoli with Pasta - a luxurious pasta recipe that even the broccoli haters will love.
- Butternut Squash Pasta with Toasted Panko - creamy butternut squash pasta with a crunchy topping.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Cooking Tips - Make sure to cut your zucchini into bite size pieces so you get some with each forkful.
Recommended Tools - You can bake this recipe in a 9x13 inch pan or a 9x11 in baking dish. An 8x8 pan will be too small. If you don't have a baking dish, you can also bake everything on a sheet pan.
Storing Tips - You can save this recipe in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of water and a drizzle of olive oil to it before microwaving to reheat.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos or leave us a rating.
Baked Feta & Zucchini Pasta
This baked feta pasta with zucchini, leeks, and shallot is a flavorful dish that everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 7-ounce block of feta
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, in their skin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt,
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound pasta (chunky shape)
- optional toppings - fresh lemon juice, pea tendrils, chopped parsley, chopped sage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the feta, zucchini, leek, and shallot in a 9x13 or 9x11 baking dish or on a sheet pan. Tuck the garlic cloves into the edges.
- Drizzle the feta and vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Bake the feta and vegetables for 35 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta in very salty water, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- When the feta and vegetables are done, remove them from the oven. Remove the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins. Mince and then add back to the pan. Stir to combine the feta and vegetables.
- Combine the pasta and feta mixture. Top with optional toppings and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 1218mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
Michelle says
Is there another cheese that I could use instead of feta? I’m not a feta person.
Emily says
Hi Michelle - you could try ricotta, goat cheese, or queso fresco. I haven't made the recipe with any of these, but they're all great substitutes for feta!
Katie says
Looks delicious! What would you suggest as an alternative to the leeks? Brussel sprouts perhaps?
Emily says
Hi Katie - Yes, I think Brussels sprouts would work well! You could also use green onions or you could stir in some greens like spinach or arugula.
Deb says
@Katie, I used sliced red onion and it was really good. It caramalized nicely.
Tyler says
Didn’t have leeks or shallots so just used white onion and it still came out delicious!! I can only imagine how glorious it would be if I had all the ingredients. It’s ridiculously tasty for how easy this is.
EW says
So glad you liked it!
Diane says
Can I use feta crumbles. That's all I have. I have a large container, so I am looking for lots of ways to use it.
EW says
Yes, you can use crumbles!