Student Friendly Feta Pasta

Coming home after a never-ending day of classes, work and studying is often when students feel like ordering takeout or eating the fastest microwave meal possible. Despite life in university being so time-consuming and stress-inducing, we’ve created a quick, versatile recipe busy people can make using the forgotten ingredients in the back of their refrigerator. Every ingredient in this recipe is interchangeable. Here are the ones we used, and we’ve included some substitutes anyone can use!

Ingredients:
Leftover cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
One 8-ounce block of feta cheese
1 garlic clove, finely grated (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt
Pepper
4 cups of pasta of your choice

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F 
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes (or preferred vegetable) in olive oil and add as much salt and pepper as desired. Pour into a greased oven-safe baking dish and place your feta (or cheese of choice) in the center of the dish. 
3. Once the oven is preheated, bake until the tomatoes burst and the feta has softened about 30 minutes. 
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, around 13 minutes. Reserve half a cup of cooking water and drain. 
5. Increase the heat to 450 degrees F and continue to cook the tomatoes and feta until both are golden brown (10-15 minutes).
6. Once the feta tomato dish is cooked, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and use the back of a spoon to mash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth sauce. If it is convenient, you can blend the tomatoes and feta to create a smoother sauce; next, stir the cooked pasta into the feta tomato sauce, and add any extra seasoning to taste, serve and enjoy! 

Ingredients to use to substitute or customize:
Sub tomatoes for zucchini, eggplant, peppers or leek
Sub feta for Boursin, cottage cheese, brie, camembert or any cheddar
Sub olive oil for canola or coconut oil
To make this dish gluten-free, you can substitute regular pasta for gluten free noodles.
Add sauteed onions/garlic, basil, or peppers.