There are so many reasons to love this meatless Pasta with Feta Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Spinach! It takes only 30 minutes, uses basic ingredients, and is packed with flavor! Serve this healthy Mediterranean pasta dish as a vegetarian meal or a meatless side with grilled meats, rotisserie chicken, salmon, or shrimp. The recipe is versatile and flexible to suit anybody's taste!
Mediterranean pasta with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes
This feta pasta is a perfect weeknight dinner for busy weekdays as it takes only 30 minutes and can be made ahead (refrigerated or frozen). Everything is cooked on the stovetop. It's a healthy meal that features traditional Mediterranean diet ingredients such as lemon, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and paprika. You can easily adjust it to be dairy-free and gluten-free. It also makes a beautiful presentation, and you can serve it on special occasions as a meatless meal or a side dish to grilled meats and seafood whenever you're entertaining. If you'd like more Mediterranean pasta inspiration, check out my Greek shrimp orzo and tomato spinach chicken spaghetti.
What makes feta pasta so special?
- Fresh ingredients. This recipe is a great way to incorporate healthy veggies into your dinner. It's packed with spinach, cherry tomatoes, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and garlic. You can add even more veggies, such as asparagus, bell peppers, or mushrooms. Feta cheese adds a salty and briny flavor.
- Easy but fancy! Bow tie pasta with feta and cherry tomatoes looks and tastes like a restaurant-quality dish. It's colorful, vibrant, and not boring. The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, so it's perfect for entertaining guests.
- Great for meal prep. This recipe can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 1 month!
The ingredients
- Pasta. I used bow tie (farfalle), and I recommend short-cut pasta here of any kind: rigatoni, orecchiette, penne, or fusilli.
- Tomatoes. I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half. They make a beautiful presentation. This is a great recipe for showcasing high-quality tomatoes.
- Spinach. I used fresh. You can use frozen, too (thawed and drained of any liquid). Other leafy greens that will work well in feta pasta are arugula or kale.
- Garlic. I used lots of fresh minced garlic. It's a must as garlic really adds so much flavor to the tomatoes!
- Feta cheese - use a fresh block of cheese or crumbled Feta - either works!
- Olive oil is used to cook the tomatoes.
- Italian seasoning adds a ton of flavor. You can also use Herbs De Provance or dried oregano.
- Paprika adds nice flavor and color!
- Salt and pepper. I recommend using freshly ground or coarse black pepper.
How to make feta pasta with cherry tomatoes
Below are step-by-step photos and an overview of the instructions. The detailed recipe (with the ingredient amounts) is in the recipe card below.
1) Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain when it's cooked. Proceed with the rest of the recipe in the meantime.
2) Cook cherry tomatoes (halved) together with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet for about 2 minutes until they soften and release juices.
3) Add fresh spinach and cook until it wilts.
4) Add crumbled feta cheese.
5) Assemble by adding cooked and drained bow-tie pasta to the skillet with the veggies and feta. Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine, for 1 minute.
Variations and substitutions
- This is a great recipe for leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Just throw it together with the pasta, heat it through, and serve!
- Veggies. My favorite veggies to add to any Mediterranean pasta are chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach. Pick and choose YOUR favorites!
- Other leafy greens, besides spinach, that you can use are arugula or kale.
- Cheese. This recipe uses feta cheese. You can also add small Mozzarella balls (pearls), sliced Mozzarella, or cubed Parmesan. Or, add grated Parmesan.
- Lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!
What kind of pasta is best here?
- Shapes of pasta. Short-cut pasta works great, such as farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, or penne. But you can use any pasta you like, including spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, farfalle, penne, or rigatoni.
- Protein-rich gluten-free pasta is a great choice here, too. My favorites are chickpea and lentil pasta.
- Stuffed pasta, such as store-bought ravioli or tortellini is a great option!!
What kind of feta cheese is best here?
You can use either a block of feta cheese that you crumble or you can use crumbled feta, too. I prefer a block of cheese as it's the freshest.
Can you make it gluten-free?
Use your favorite gluten-free pasta. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free!
Can you make it dairy-free?
Use dairy-free, vegan feta cheese instead of regular feta.
Storage and reheating tips
- Fridge. Store cooked feta pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat the leftovers in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave oven, and stir the pasta. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 more seconds or more, until heated through.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat the leftovers over low-medium heat in any kind of appropriately sized cooking pan. Add a small amount of olive oil and just a touch of water when reheating, and stir the pasta often.
Add protein to turn feta pasta into a complete meal!
Add leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled meats, shrimp, salmon, or scallops. Here are my favorite protein-based recipes that will pair well with the feta and cherry tomato pasta:
- Blackened Shrimp
- The Best Pan-Seared Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Shrimp Scampi with Capers
- Garlic Parmesan Baked Salmon
- Pan-Seared Salmon with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Greek Chicken
- Cajun Chicken
- Bacon Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce
What sides to serve with feta pasta
Serve it with a crusty slice of Italian bread, focaccia, ciabatta, or garlic bread. Add a fresh salad, here are some options:
- Greek Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Avocado, Capers, Red Onions, and Feta Cheese
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta cheese, Pecans, and a simple Balsamic dressing
- Avocado Mango Salad
- Peach Blueberry Spinach Salad
Other vegetarian Mediterranean pasta recipes
- Tomato and Spinach Pasta with Olives and Capers
- Spaghetti Salad
- Fusilli with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capers, and Pine Nuts
- Greek Orzo
Pasta with Feta Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 10 oz farfalle bow-tie pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz grape tomatoes (2 colors: red and yellow), sliced in half
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 oz fresh spinach chopped
- 6 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain.
- In the meantime, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Cook veggies
- In a large, high-sided skillet, combine the halved grape tomatoes, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt, paprika, Italian seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat for about 2 minutes until they soften and release juices.
- Stir in fresh spinach and cook until it wilts. Add crumbled feta cheese and stir it in.
- Add cooked and drained pasta and 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine, for 1 minute. Add 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil if you like.
Notes
- Make it dairy-free. Use vegan feta cheese.
- Make it gluten-free. Use GF pasta.
- What veggies go well with feta pasta? I recommend tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, and arugula.
- Cheese. You can use grated Parmesan or fresh Mozzarella cheese instead of or in addition to Feta cheese.
- Fridge. Store the leftovers refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. This recipe is freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep! Freeze it for up to 1 month.
- Reheating tips. Reheat the leftovers over low-medium heat in a pan on the stovetop or microwave-safe dish in the microwave oven. When reheating, add a small amount of olive oil and just a touch of water to prevent the pasta from sticking, and stir it often.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this tonight. It was so easy to make and delicious!
So glad you made it and loved it, Holly! 🙂
Can you serve it cold as a salad?
Yes, you could. But, I think this is a better pasta salad recipe with similar ingredients:
https://juliasalbum.com/pasta-salad-feta/
I love your recipes. You are a life saver. I have never been a confident cook, but I'm now serving your creations when guest come and I always feel confident that they will go well and everyone loves them!
Wow, Yvonne, I am so flattered! Thank you!! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I added some peppers and artichokes to the recipe and think each of the flavors worked together very well. I thought you could taste each discretely. Next time (and I will add it to rotation) I think I’d cut the stems off the spinach and arugula.
Hi Kate, I love that you added so many more veggies to it! So glad you liked it, and thank you very much for your review! 🙂
J'aime beaucoup vos recettes ,est-il possible de les avoir en français
Merci
Hi Suzanne! You can easily translate my recipes into French by adding the recipe link into Google Translate for Websites:
https://translate.google.com/?sl=fr&tl=en&op=websites