Description
Baked feta and butternut squash pasta with sage and garlic brings comfort straight to your dinner table with minimal effort. Roasted vegetables, melted cheese, and aromatic herbs create a simple yet satisfying meal that makes weeknight cooking feel like a breeze.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb Pasta
- 1 8 oz block Feta Cheese
- 5 cups Butternut Squash
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- 10 leaves Fresh Sage
- 3 cloves Garlic
Seasonings and Finishing Touches:
- 2 hefty pinches Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Hot Honey
- 1 hefty pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F and prepare a baking dish. Toss 5 cups of butternut squash with ¼ cup olive oil and 2 hefty pinches of kosher salt.
- Place the squash in the baking dish and position the 8 oz feta block in the center. Drizzle feta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- Roast the squash and feta for 30 minutes at 400°F, carefully shifting squash pieces to prevent burning.
- Increase oven temperature to 450°F and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until feta develops a golden-brown color.
- While roasting, cook 1 lb of pasta in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water after draining.
- Remove baking dish from oven and immediately stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and 10 chopped sage leaves.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon hot honey over the roasted mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Add cooked pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta water. Stir until sauce becomes creamy and smooth.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and hot honey as desired. Add more pasta water if needed for ideal consistency.
Notes
- Fresh sage transforms the dish, so chop it finely for the most delicate flavor distribution.
- Butternut squash varies in moisture, so check its tenderness during roasting and adjust cooking time accordingly.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular pasta with chickpea or zucchini noodles to maintain the recipe’s creamy texture.
- Experiment with different cheese options like goat cheese or ricotta if feta isn’t your preference, but keep the block method consistent.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 503 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 635 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 69 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg