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Cheesy Spanakopita Pasta Bake

Prep time: 10 minutes

‍Cook time: 30–35 minutes

‍Serves: 4–6

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Baked feta pasta had its viral moment for good reason - soft, oven-baked feta mashed into a creamy, herby sauce is ridiculously easy for how good it tastes. It's one of those quick, low-effort, high-reward dinners where you may actually have all the ingredients coincidently laying around already! This version has a little twist, of course, leaning into fresh dill and mint alongside the classic oregano, plus a scoop of yoghurt for extra silkiness, and wilted spinach to round it all out. Ah, this is actually making me hungry!

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Ingredients

  • 1 block feta
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • Olive oil
  • 1 handful fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 handful fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 500g baby spinach
  • 500g rigatoni pasta
  • 1–1½ cups shredded mozzarella
  • 4 heaped tbsp natural or Greek yoghurt

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Place the feta, spring onions, oregano and a generous drizzle of olive oil into a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the feta is soft and lightly golden and the spring onions have softened.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and gently mash the baked feta with a fork to create the base of the sauce.
  5. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, dill, mint, 1 handful of mozzarella and the yoghurt. Pour in the reserved pasta water a little at a time, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and silky. The spinach will wilt as it's mixed through.
  6. Sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella and return to the oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling.
  7. Serve immediately with extra dill, mint or cracked black pepper, if desired.

My tip: Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and an extra crumble of feta for a fresh, tangy finish.

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FAQs

Can I use a different pasta shape?
Yes, literally any pasta you have is perfect. Rigatoni holds the sauce well because of its ridges and tube shape, but anything you got on hand should be good.

Why do I need to reserve the pasta water?
The starchy pasta water is what turns the mashed feta into a smooth, clingy sauce rather than a dry, crumbly one - add it gradually until you get that silky consistency.

Do I have to bake it?

‍Nope. You can skip the oven and just mix everything together for a creamy feta sauce.

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