This creamy veggie pasta recipe is made with roasted vegetables, feta, baby arugula, and chunky pasta.
Roasting the vegetables and the feta adds an incredible depth of flavor that's hard to beat. It's a delicious meal that's ready in less than 30 minutes.
Emily's Recipe Notes
I've been making this recipe for years and it's one of my favorite recipes on the site! It's such a delicious combination of roasted vegetables with salty, creamy baked feta.
It saves well in the refrigerator and tastes even better the next day - making it great for meal prep or leftovers.
If you haven't had baked feta before, you're in for a real treat.
Roasted Veggie Pasta Ingredients
- Chunky Pasta - I typically use fusilli but any larger pasta shape like penne, cavatappi, etc will work.
- Feta Cheese - you can use a block of feta or crumbled feta. Both will roast up well.
- Cherry Tomatoes - these will roast beautifully and add a pop of juicy flavor!
- Red Onion - the tangy flavor of a red onion is a must. I wouldn't substitute it for a yellow onion, but you could use 2 shallots if you'd prefer.
- Zucchini - any summer squash will work, but this adds a creamy element.
- Bell Pepper - I like to use an orange bell pepper to have a variety of colors, but any bell pepper will work!
- Oil - use olive oil or avocado oil to roast the vegetables.
- Seasonings - use a little salt and pepper to season your veggies. Add some red pepper flakes if you'd like a little heat.
- Lemon juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a wonderful pop of fresh flavor.
- Baby Greens - I typically use baby arugula because I enjoy the peppery flavor, but feel free to use baby spinach or any other green you'd like to mix in.
How to Make Feta Pasta
Here's how to make this easy veggie pasta recipe. It takes a little while to roast the feta and the vegetables, but it's largely hands-off time.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the feta and vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss vegetables and drizzle cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have burst.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta in very salty water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
When the vegetables and feta are done baking, combine the feta and pasta in a large bowl. Stir the feta is evenly dispersed over the pasta. Then add the vegetables, remaining salt, pepper, lemon juice, and arugula and stir gently till combined.
Serve immediately or save in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes for Making this Recipe
- The greens in this salad are flexible - if you don't have arugula, you can use baby spinach or chopped chard.
- The vegetables are also flexible. I often swap out what I have in season - in fall I make a version of this with butternut squash. You can broccoli, asparagus, leeks, etc.
- Based on reader feedback, I amended the recipe slightly to suggest reserving ½ cup of pasta water to thin the feta and make the sauce creamier. You don't have to do this, but I think it's a wonderful option for a creamier sauce.
If you try this baked feta pasta with veggies recipe, let me know! Connect with me on Instagram and share your photos, or leave us a rating.
Roasted Veggie Pasta with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli or other chunky pasta
- 6 ounce block of feta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion cut into thin wedges
- 2 small zucchini diced into ½ in pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper diced into ½ in pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh baby arugula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the feta and vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss vegetables and drizzle cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have burst.
- Meanwhile, boil the pasta in very salty water according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- When the vegetables and feta are done baking, combine the feta, reserved pasta water, and pasta in a large bowl. Stir the feta is evenly dispersed over the pasta. Then add the vegetables, remaining olive oil, remaining salt, pepper, lemon juice, and arugula and stir gently till combined.
- Serve immediately or save in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Mary says
Excellent! Will definitely make again. Fast & easy and so delicious!
Liz says
Loved this recipe! Great weeknight dinner, easy to make. Thanks for posting it.
Amanda says
Pretty good, I like the freshness of it. I bumped up my oven to 425 for 20 minutes and added a few squirts of greek dressing at the end to give a little more flavor.
Crissy says
This was delicious, I skipped the red onion, only used 4 oz of feta, and added a little pasta water!
Olivia says
Is there another cheese you could use instead of feta? I love the idea of this but I don’t like feta!
Emily says
Yes! You could do this with goat's cheese or Boursin! I've seen people do it with hummus as well, although I've never tried it so don't know how it would turn out.
Lexi says
@Olivia, I've discovered halloumi recently. It grills and bakes beautifully. Maybe give that a shot?
Annette says
This was delicious! I wasn’t sure about roasting the feta but it worked. I usually roast my veggies. I added a cup of pasta water, too. Will definitely make this again. And try some other cheeses.
Emily says
So glad you liked it! Saving a cup of pasta water is a great idea!
Terah says
@Emily, Where would you add the pasta water? To the feta and pasta when mixing?
Emily says
Yes! Add it when mixing the feta, vegetables, and pasta.
Stacy H says
So simple and yummy! I used spinach instead of arugula because my grocery store didn't have it.
Emily says
So glad you liked it!
Brooke K Ellis says
might be a silly question but can you use crumbled feta? 🙁 only have crumbled on hand
Emily says
I think you could definitely use crumbled feta! I would pile it in the center instead of spreading it out before baking.
Sam says
If you don’t like zucchini what would you recommend swapping it for?
Emily says
I've got a couple of ideas - leave out the zucchini and double the number of cherry tomatoes or sub chopped leeks for the zucchini. Hope this helps!
Annie says
@Emily, add peppers garlic chillies fresh basil mozarrela smoked pancetta anything. Xxx UK
Noemi Lynch says
I loved this recipe. I think the only thing that could make it better would be some roasted pine nuts!
Emily says
I'm so glad you liked it! Adding roasted pine nuts is a great idea!
Shea says
In the ingredients, it calls for 2 Tablespoons of olive oil but I only see to use 1 tablespoon during roasting. Do you drizzle the tablespoon over the pasta when done?
Emily says
Yes exactly!
Ella says
This was amazing. I can see me eating this all the time. I’ll try it with different veggies and cheeses. So so good!
Kasey says
This was super delicious!!! However, when I calculated calories in my fitness pal it came up to 430 calories per serving for 6 servings.
Gigi says
This was a delicious recipe. We blended the roasted vegetables and feta with immersion blender and some reserved pasta water. Very good.
Catherine says
@Gigi, killer idea! I have small kids so I’m gonna try this 😻
Deanna says
Thinking about adding a protein. How would you season chicken to add to this recipe?
Emily says
Hi Deanna! You could do it a few ways, I think a few grilled chicken thighs with a mixture of paprika, S&P, and some herbs (maybe an Italian spice blend) could be nice. You could also do a yogurt chicken where you marinate chicken breasts or thighs in Greek yogurt and grill or bake them. It helps keep them juicier. I'd season those with a mix of cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and S&P.
Allison says
This was my 1st time baking/roasting a block of feta! (I LOVE crumbled feta) THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I used chickpea pasta and added almost a jar of marinara to have a spaghetti flavor. The feta in this is absolutely outstanding!
Andrea says
Ok it's good but it had way too much salt. I'll probably use half the amount or even omit it at the end.
Emily says
Thanks for the feedback! Did you use kosher salt or sea salt (or regular table salt)? Kosher salt (what the recipe calls for) is about half as salty as sea salt - hence why you might be experiencing this discrepancy!
Stacey says
This was delish! I added oregano, fresh minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the feta before roasting. Then some fresh Parmesan to the mixed result.
Emily says
Fantastic additions!
Bridgette Flippin says
@Emily, how do you get the cheese to mix into the pasta? I had a hard time. But it’s probably just me lol
Cheryl says
Made this dish tonight and we absolutely loved it. Will be adding to our New Meals We Loved. We added some mushrooms on top just for a little extra
Rachel says
Great recipe just did a few tweaks. Definitely make sure to save some pasta water to make the sauce more smooth. I added salt pepper Italian seasoning and garlic powder to everything to give it a little more flavor. Also added some sun-dried tomatoes since I was low on cherry tomatoes which was delicious! Healthy, fresh dinner! Thanks for sharing!
Kelly says
3rd time making it as my lunch for the entire week.
Tiffany Darks says
Have you ever tried to freeze and reheat this dish? Trying to find some healthy recipes to take to a friend but want to be able to freeze them if she needs to.
EW says
Hi! I've never tried freezing it, but generally cooked pasta with sauce or vegetables can be frozen for up to 3 months. It should be reheated in the oven. I hope this helps!
Jordan says
Would this be good for four days of meal prep?
EW says
Yes! It would absolutely work for that.
Angel says
This is great! I took the suggestion to add a little pasta water, and I threw in a few Kalamata olives, plus a sprinkle of pine nuts over top. So delish! Thank you!
Rose says
This has become one of my family’s favorite meals! It’s so easy and fast, and tastes great!
Melissa says
This turned out great! The feta made it creamy but not too saucy. I think a little fresh tarragon or rosemary might make it even better. Will do that next time.
EW says
So glad you liked it! I think tarragon or rosemary would make excellent additions
Judy says
One of the most delicious pasta recipes I've tried. My finicky spouse LOVED it. Made as directed; added a touch more fresh lemon during taste test. Next time, I will add a small amount of pasta water to make it creamier. Thank you for this simple, wonderful recipe!!
Lacey says
I’ve made this many times and my family loves it! Thanks for this recipe! I follow it almost exactly but I do omit the arugula 🫶❤️
Callie Hamilton says
Can you use mozzarella block instead of feta!?
EW says
I don't think it will melt the same way unfortunately!
Elle says
Just made this with diary free cream cheese instead of feta. It was delicious!
Brenda says
I added mushrooms and eggplant and more tomatoes. I also used hearts of palm pasta for a lower carb version. Definitely add some Greek dressing! Oh! And I used Tuscan kale for the greens. This would also be delicious with some grilled chicken marinated in Greek dressing
EW says
I add chicken to it too sometimes! I've never trie hearts of palm pasta before though - that sounds really good.
Alyssa says
This recipe is a staple in my house. I normally have to bake it for 25 instead of 15 but that might just be a softer veggie preference thing!
Emily says
This is so nice to hear!
Stephanie Quinn says
Easy and delicious ! I used a garlic salt mix instead of regular and it came out so yummy.