This Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta recipe is a spin off the viral tiktok sensation. It’s loaded with lots of roasted garlic, creamy feta cheese, basil, orzo and white balsamic glaze.
What is Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta?
I created this Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta recipe using the Baked Feta Pasta method.
It is a dish that is made by baking a block of feta cheese in a pan with garlic, lots of olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
Once the feta is melted and softened, it is then tossed with cooked pasta, spinach, lemon juice, and pasta water. The dish is finished with a drizzle of white balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper.
Garlic confit is a cooking technique where garlic cloves are cooked slowly in olive oil. This process mellows out the garlic's flavor and makes it soft and creamy.
The combination of the melted feta cheese, the roasted garlic, and the fresh spinach makes for a flavorful and satisfying pasta dish.
Ingredients and Substitutions to make Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta
- Feta - Feta is the star of this dish but it also works with goat cheese, blue cheese, and boursin.
- Garlic cloves - Since garlic is the star of this dish, it is non negotiable. You could try shallots but it won't be the same. I also have a few other versions of this using tomatoes, butternut squash, and even blue cheese.
- Olive oil - You could use another neutral oil but I think olive oil gives you the most flavor.
- Red pepper flakes - You could also use fresh chilis if you like it super spicy!
- Spinach - Spinach is optional but you could also use another green like kale or arugula.
- Orzo - I love this pasta shape for this recipe because it results in a risotto type dish but any kind of pasta will work.
- Lemon - Fresh is best but bottled lemon juice would work too.
- White Balsamic Glaze - If you don't have white balsamic glaze, you could use regular balsamic glaze or make your own reduction.
How to make Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta
Making Garlic Confit Pasta is super simple -- making it a great dish for novice chefs.
Prepare your orzo according to the directions on the box, then strain and save at least one cup of pasta water.
Fist, Preheat your oven to 400F degrees.
Next, add garlic, feta, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes to a baking dish.
Pop it in the oven and bake 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and lightly mash up the garlic and then stir the feta into it.
Add the spinach, cooked orzo and lemon juice and stir.
If it's dry, add a little pasta water (2-3 tablespoon at a time) to make the sauce creamier.
When you're ready to serve it, simply plate and top with a drizzle of white balsamic glaze and fresh cracked pepper.
What goes with Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta?
For an appetizer, I suggest my Florida Cobb Salad, or my Shortcut 1905 salad.
For dessert, you could try my Cool Whip Key Lime Pie or No Bake Mango Sticky Pie as a delicious sweet treat.
And if you'd like more tasty pasta recipes, try this Creamy Pesto Pasta or Trader Joe's Sweet Corn Burrata Ravioli with Lemon Basil Sauce or this Ditalini Pasta Salad recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Is garlic confit too garlicky?
Not at all! Garlic confit are soft and spreadable -- almost like warm butter but with a deep and funky sweetness. Like caramelized onions, there's no intense pungency remaining, just a mellow garlicky flavor...It's so mellow, in my opinion you can literally never use too much.
Can I use butter instead of oil for garlic confit?
Since this dish is going in the oven for so long, I do not recommend butter. It has a chance of burning and browning so it's best to stick to olive oil unless you're cooking it at an even lower heat.
What is a gluten free substitute for orzo?
Since orzo is made from wheat it is not gluten free, but there are gluten-free brands available made from other ingredients. You can also substitute with gluten-free grains like risotto (aka arborio rice) or quinoa.
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Recipe
Garlic Confit Baked Feta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz Block Feta
- 1 cup Garlic cloves
- ½ cup Olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- ½ lb Orzo cooked al dente in salted water
- ¼ cup Pasta water
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoon White Balsamic Glaze
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
- Prepare orzo according to the directions on the box - making sure to save at least one cup of pasta water when straining.
- Next, add garlic, feta, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes to a baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and lightly mash up the garlic and then stir the feta into it.
- Add the spinach and pasta and lemon juice and stir.
- If it's dry , add a little pasta water (stirring 2-3 tablespoon at a time) to make the sauce creamier.
- Plate and top with a drizzle of white balsamic glaze and fresh cracked pepper.
