Since the Baked Feta Pasta has been so popular and has gone viral all over social media, I knew I had to make another variation of this magical dish with my Baked Feta Pasta with Mushrooms.
It has the perfect flavor combination with a mix of mushrooms, onion, garlic, spinach & topped with pine nuts for a little crunch. It's just so creamy & full of veggies!
This recipe is so easy to make and is the perfect dish to serve weeknights for the family or even to serve for friends and guests over the weekend. Trust me it will be a hit no matter what the occasion!
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Ingredients to Make Baked Feta Pasta with Mushrooms
- Feta Cheese is the star of this dish! I prefer to use Persian or Bulgarian feta as I find it more creamy and less salty than Greek feta, but you can use your preferred feta.
- Mushrooms are the foundation of this dish. I recommend using a mix of mushrooms for different levels of flavour and texture. I’ve used shiitake and brown mushrooms
- Red onion brings added sweetness and a pop of colour
- Garlic, I love using purple garlic as I find them juicier and milder in flavour
- Extra virgin olive oil is my favourite oil to use, especially in this recipe. It plays a huge part in the sauce and pairs well with all the flavours
- Pasta, I’ve used Casarecce in my recipe. I love their twist shape which holds in the sauce
- Herbs, I’ve added a mixture of fresh thyme leaves along with dried oregano. They both work well together and marry all the flavours
- Spinach is a great veggie to add as it pairs well with feta & mushrooms. It also brings a pop of green with added nutrients
- Pine nuts, I love adding toasted pine nuts at the end for a little crunch and nuttiness. You can also substitute with walnuts or almonds
Important Tips
- Ensure to place the block of feta whole in the middle of the oven tray. If it’s broken up, it will burn too quickly and won’t bring out the same creamy sauce
- Don’t cut mushrooms up too small or thin as they will shrink when cooked. You want to keep some texture so cut them in small chunks
- Garlic cloves are best to be left whole in their skins. Once roasted, they bring out the most beautiful subtle flavour and creaminess. If they are peeled or cut, they can burn in the oven and won’t be creamy
- Stick to using a short pasta shape, ideally with grooves as it would work the best holding in the sauce and ingredients. I’ve used casarecce but you can also use fusilli, penne, or even conchiglie which are small shells
- Don’t cook the spinach, always add it to the dish right before the pasta is added. The heat from the pasta and pasta water will wilt the spinach and it will be perfect to eat
- Mix in the pasta fairly quickly as soon as the dish is out of the oven while the feta is still warm. This will ensure the creaminess will then come together with the pasta, as once the cheese cools down, the cheese will start to harden.
- Pasta water is critical to this dish so make sure to keep some aside when cooking your pasta. Start by adding a good splash and then add as needed to create a beautiful creamy sauce
- If the sauce has thickened up too much or isn’t as creamy, not to stress, a good splash of pasta water will save the day and bring the sauciness back
More Pasta Recipes
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share a photo on Instagram so I can share the love.
Recipe
Baked Feta Pasta with Mushrooms
This Baked Feta Pasta with Mushrooms recipe is simple to make and creates the perfect sauce combination that provides a sweet, salty creamy pasta.
Servings: 4
Calories: 664kcal
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Ingredients
- 400 g short pasta (I've used casarecce)
- 500 g mixed mushrooms (I’ve used shiitake and brown mushrooms)
- 1 red onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 160 g block of feta cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (with some extra)
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 100 g baby spinach
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 handful toasted pine nuts
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
- Slice mushrooms and onion and place into an oven dish
- Add garlic cloves whole in their skin along with the fresh thyme leaves
- Drizzle over the olive oil and give a quick mix and massage with your hands so everything is nicely coated
- Add the block of feta in the middle of the dish and place all the mushroom mixture around it evenly
- Season the feta with oregano and a drizzle of olive oil
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until mushrooms are nicely golden and feta has softened
- When mushrooms 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 from their skin. Using a fork, mash the garlic cloves in the same oven tray
- Give it all a mix together breaking up the feta cheese with a spoon
- First add the spinach then top with the cooked pasta with a good splash of pasta water. Mix together quickly to create a beautiful creamy sauce. If it’s too thick, add more pasta water
- Add pine nuts right before serving so they keep their crunch and serve your creamy sauce Baked Feta Mushroom Pasta :). If you find it too salty add a good squeeze of lemon to balance it out
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2515IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 3mg
Neilla
Love it! taste so good!
Ayeh
I love this combo too 🙂
Karen
Just love your recipes .... all the way from South Africa
Ayeh
Thank you so much. Much love back!
Ayeh
That makes me so happy karen 🙂
Mary
Can chicken tenders be added to this?
Ayeh
Yes of course! Id suggest to pan-fry them first for a sear xx
Carina
I'm going to try this tonight with blanched zoodles instead of pasta since I'm cutting back on my carb intake. Fingers crossed that I can get the proper consistency w/o true pasta water.
Ayeh
Oh yummy! Try not to overcook the zoodles as they only need a minute to cook . enjoy xxx
April
I’d love to try this recipe although having a very hard time here in my regional Australian town finding Persian feta in a block. It’s already pre cut in jars. Can I get a suggestion please? 🙂
Ayeh
You can use the cubed feta, just make sure to place them next to each other so there are no gaps so it doesnt dry out xx Otherwise I love also using Bulgarian feta
Johanne
YUMM! Every Pasta by Ayeh is so great for weekly meal prep, makes 5 perfectly sized portions. This one is so yummy, I used Persian feta and instead of the squeezed lemon at the end I used lemon thyme which subtly tones down any saltiness. Soooooooo good! Thanks Ayeh! x
Ayeh
You're most welcome dear! Oh yummy sounds delish xxx
Tamara
You are incredible, what a beautiful energy, and the food that you are making is super easy. Such an inspiring. And every day a new dish on the table yum , greetings from the Netherlands
Ayeh
Aw thank you so much Tamara, much love back
Megan
So easy and yummy! We didn't have much time to make dinner the first time that I tried this and I was worried it might take too long to put together but it is really so simple, creamy, full of veggies, and delicious! The only alteration I will personally make next time I make it is less onion, however my fiancee loves onion and thought the amount was perfect so that is up to each maker's discretion. Enjoy!!
Ayeh
Yay so happy you loved it so much dear 🙂
Amanda
So simple and delicious. The pine nuts top is off beautifully. Thank you Ayeh ❤
Ayeh
Yummy yours looked so good lovely! xxx
Kim
The caloric count per dish? Or serving size? And how many servings per dish? Dish a 9x13? I’m excited to try this,
Ayeh
Its always per serving lovely xxxx
Melody Fox
Absolutely delicious. Love this combo - such a fun twist on the tomato version. Don’t skip the pasta water…so creamy!!
Melody
Absolutely delicious. Love this combo - such a fun twist on the tomato version. Don’t skip the pasta water…so creamy!!
Ayeh
Hehe yes I love this one so much too!
Natasha
This pasta is super quick and simple to make, and it really is amazing!
It will definitely be a weekly staple in my house!
Ayeh
Aw so happy to hear lovely!
Ben
Me and my partner cooked this meal for the first time last night and it was super tasty! Thank you for the recipe, we have downloaded quite a few others that we are eager to try.
Keep up the good recipes and we look forward to you uploading some new ones 🙂
Ayeh
So happy to hear lovely, this is a family favourite here too! Plenty more to come xxx
Sofia
Easy quick & simple.. Absolutely delicious.. highly recommend. Thank you for your amazing recipe..
Ayeh
You're most welcome Sofia, so glad you loved it xxx
Emily
This recipe was really yummy. The mix of mushrooms smelt amazing and the pasta water definitely makes the sauce creamier. Will be making again and again for a tasty meat-free option.
Ayeh
Yay so glad you loved it so much!
Donna
What would be the best substitution for feta cheese (my husband not a fan of that particular cheese) and I want it to have the same creaminess. Thanks!
Ayeh
Hi dear, goats cheese is great too and super creamy. just make sure to add salt as its not as salty as feta x
kimberley dubois
I loved it - I made less and altered some of the ingredients - but the basis of this dish was just what I wanted.. I used caramelised onions and less feta & cooked the pasta with a fresh habanero chilli. I also used butter instead of olive oil.
Ayeh
Oh yum sounds great, so happy you loved it Kimberley xxx