I’m not a huge follower of TikTok trends, but ‘Baked Feta Pasta’ was pretty hard to miss. This dish is loosely based on that, just spruced up a little for extra deliciousness 😋 Follow me…
Baked Feta
So I guess this recipe begs the question ‘why bake the feta?‘. If you’ve never baked feta before, to put it bluntly, it’s life-changing. Baking feta turns it super soft and creamy, which in turn creates the base for the most delicious pasta sauce.
What kind of feta should I use?
Try and grab a good-quality block of Greek feta. I usually go for ‘Attis’ Greek feta cheese, which turns out velvety smooth every time. Also, make sure it’s not low-fat, you need the full fat for the best flavour!
Extra Goodies
Along with the feta, we’re going to add a few other goodies:
Cherry Tomatoes – These bulk out the pasta and also balance out the salty flavour of the feta. Asparagus – This again bulks out the pasta and also pairs with all the other ingredients really nicely. Olive Oil – This not only prevents everything from drying out, but it also helps creates a rich, silky sauce.
To bake everything I recommend using a large oven-safe pan, just because it’s then easiest to stir in the orzo. If you don’t have one then just use a baking dish. Process shots: bake feta with oil (photo 1), remove from oven (photo 2), add asparagus (photo 3), add tomatoes and oil (photo 4), bake again (photo 5), mash feta (photo 6).
Baked Feta Orzo
Once you’ve mashed the feta until it’s smooth, you can go in with the cooked orzo.
Starchy Water
When you drain the orzo, do not discard the water. This is a crucial ingredient in creating the creamy sauce. The starch molecules help emulsify the fats and bind everything together.
Extra Goodies
Spinach – I like to roughly chop it, but you can keep the leaves whole if you’d prefer. Mascarpone – This turns the orzo extra creamy and helps balance out the strong flavour of the feta. Herbs – I love stirring through some fresh basil and chives for a boost of flavour!
Process shots: add orzo (photo 1), stir (photo 2), stir in spinach and starchy water (photo 3), stir in mascarpone and herbs (photo 4).
Serving Baked Feta Orzo
As you stir everything, just use the starchy water to thin/smooth out the sauce as you go. I typically end up using 1/2 a cup, but add more in if you need to. When you’re ready to serve, just tuck right in and enjoy! For more asparagus pasta recipes check out my Asparagus Pancetta Pasta and Creamy One Pot Pasta! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this baked feta orzo shall we!?
How to make Baked Feta Orzo (Full Recipe & Video)
For another baked feta recipe check out my Hot Honey Feta Chicken and Baked Feta and Marinara Sauce! For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Delicious Orzo Recipes
Lemon Chicken Orzo Tomato, Spinach & Bacon Orzo Garlic & Parmesan Sausage Orzo Baked Chicken Meatballs & Orzo Creamy Mushroom Orzo Garlic Butter Prawn Orzo
