Description
This creamy and flavorful Pasta with Green Sauce recipe features a unique blend of roasted feta, sweet onion, garlic, fresh basil, and peas, combined to create a smooth, vibrant sauce that perfectly coats al dente rotini pasta. Baked feta becomes wonderfully melty and golden, infusing the sauce with a rich tanginess balanced by fresh herbs and a touch of olive oil.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese
- 1 small sweet onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces Carbe Diem rotini pasta
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Feta Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the block of feta cheese centered in an 8x11-inch baking dish. Distribute the sliced onions and unpeeled garlic cloves around the feta. Drizzle the olive oil over the feta and onions, then season everything with black pepper to enhance flavor.
- Bake the Feta and Vegetables: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the onions become softened and the feta cheese is melty with golden edges, indicating it is perfectly roasted and ready to layer flavors in the sauce.
- Cook Pasta: While the feta bakes, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water to help loosen the sauce later.
- Combine Peas and Herbs with Feta: Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully take out the garlic cloves to cool slightly. Add the thawed peas and chopped basil leaves directly on top of the hot feta mixture. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes allowing the peas to soften slightly with the residual heat.
- Blend the Sauce: Peel the roasted garlic cloves and return them to the baking dish. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients together into a smooth, creamy sauce. Add additional pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a blender for thorough blending.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the drained pasta directly into the baking dish with the green sauce. Toss everything well to evenly coat the pasta with the flavorful sauce.
- Serve: Serve the pasta warm, garnished with extra fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil for added freshness and richness, if desired.
Notes
- Use an immersion blender for easier blending directly in the baking dish, but a standard blender works well too.
- You can adjust the amount of reserved pasta water to achieve the preferred sauce thickness.
- This recipe can be prepared with gluten-free pasta to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- For a slightly sharper flavor, leave some feta crumbles on top when serving.
- Adding a squeeze of lemon juice can brighten the flavor if desired.
