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Meditteranean | |
| 1 1/4 cups ripe cherry tomatoes or any of the mixed color small ones 8 garlic cloves 4 0z block of feta cheese (if you cant find a block, use crumbled and press it into a bowl to shape and then remove from bowl straight to the center of the oven dish) about 1/2 box pasta (I've used orecchiette/medium shells) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (with some extra) 1 TBSP dried oregano (or more) Big handful of fresh basil leaves torn Salt and pepper to taste optional Kalamata Olives rough chopped | |
| Preheat the oven to 400°F Add cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves whole in their skins to an oven dish (8x8 is great for 2, 9x12 for larger amounts Season with salt and pepper along with oregano and pour over the olive oil. Give it a little massage with your hands so all the ingredients are nicely coated Place the block of feta cheese in the middle of the dish and place all the tomatoes around it. Add a sprinkle more of oregano and a drizzle of olive oil to the feta before placing into the oven. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the tomatoes have blistered and feta cheese has softened When tomatoes have 10 minutes left on the cooking time, start to cook the pasta in heavily salted water. As always, don’t forget to save some pasta water on the side. Remove oven dish and gently peel garlic cloves (be careful it may be hot) from their skin and using a fork, mash the garlic cloves and add back to the oven dish. Give it all a mix together breaking up the feta cheese and tomatoes (a potatoes masher works well). It will become a nice and creamy sauce-like consistency Add the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the dish along with the basil leaves and olives if using. Mix together, and if needed, add a splash of the pasta water to help it come together. Dig in and enjoy your creamy, salty & sweet pasta! | |
| Note this can be done on a smoker or grill to enhance the flavor. | |
Excellent | |
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