Baked Feta, Tomato, and Spinach Pasta

If you spend even half as much time as I do on the Internet every day, then you’ve probably seen the latest (and most delicious-looking) trend to hit social media: drizzling blocks of feta cheese and loose tomatoes with wonderful, generous glugs of extra virgin olive and baking them at moderately-high heat until the tomatoes have ripened to the point of almost bursting, and the cheese has gotten so soft that when mixed with pasta, it melts like a dream. The original recipe was developed two years ago by Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen, but it wasn’t until this year, thanks to TikTok, that it went super viral. In fact, the recipe got so huge that Finland actually had a brief but significant shortage of feta cheese nationwide! I’ve seen countless videos floating around Youtube and Instagram in the last two weeks, and though I tend to be extremely particular when it comes to jumping on the latest trends, I knew this was one I desperately had to try.

In all the videos I watched, the basic breakdown of the dish was this: drizzle the feta and tomatoes with olive oil, season with black pepper, and sprinkle a liberal amount of oregano (usually fresh) on top. Roast everything in the oven, then mix in cooked pasta. It just doesn’t get any simpler - or more hands-off - than that.

The final product looked amazing every time, but I wanted to take things up a notch. What other seasonings would go well with salty cheese, sweet tomatoes, and earthy olive oil? Then it hit me: za’atar, my favorite Middle Eastern spice blend that consists of sesame, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and sumac! Oregano, a key ingredient in the original recipe, would still be present, and joined by some other stellar spices blended together in perfect harmony. And because I sometimes need to trick myself into eating vegetables: I threw in some spinach, too! When it came to pasta, I wanted to keep things pretty simple. In some videos, I saw cavatappi being used. In others, classic macaroni. But there was something about a small, long pasta shape that appealed to me, so I went with penne rigate.

The result was, and I’m not exaggerating, one of the best pasta dishes I have EVER had. This Baked Feta, Tomato, and Spinach Pasta is earthy from the za’atar, slightly sweet from the roasted tomatoes, and perfectly creamy, briny, and a little tangy from the baked feta. Though the spinach takes a backseat to the other flavors, just a few minutes of being tossed into the still-warm pasta makes it pleasantly tender and a great supporting character to the main act. And the best part is, dinner was ready in 35 minutes, with very little clean-up at the end.

Internet trends come and go at the speed of light, but this Baked Feta, Tomato, and Spinach Pasta was born from a social media moment that I know is here to stay!

Baked Feta, Tomato, and Spinach Pasta

What You’ll Need:

• 1 pint grape tomatoes

• One 8 oz block of feta cheese

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Za’atar

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Salt

• 16 oz penne rigate pasta

• 3 oz baby spinach

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the feta cheese and tomatoes in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle the feta and tomatoes liberally with extra-virgin olive oil, za’atar, and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

While the feta and tomatoes are in the oven, cook the pasta in a heavy-bottomed pot filled with well-salted boiling water (the water should taste like the ocean). Follow package instructions for al dente. Just before the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta.

As soon as the feta and tomatoes are out of the oven, add the pasta, spinach, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the baking dish and stir until the ingredients are well-combined. Add more freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm.

TO STORE: Pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Pasta al limone e prosciutto

Weeknight dinners are always the most challenging, between work and school and everything else you’ve got going on in your life, there’s very little time to lay out a meal everyone will love. But just because you’re limited on time (has anyone noticed the days are just getting shorter and shorter!?), doesn’t mean that what you put together in the kitchen has to be dull. What if I told you that you could get a sophisticated pasta dish on the dinner table in less than an hour without sacrificing flavor OR flair?

Are you as excited as I am? Cool, keep reading!

Pasta al limone is an absolute classic, known for the zippiness of the citrus mixed with the slight saltiness of the parmesan cream sauce. But what if we could elevate that flavor even more?

A couple weeks ago, while conducting a routine raid of the refrigerator to make room for the upcoming bi-weekly grocery trip, I thought about what I could add to the near-perfect pasta dish I was about to make that wouldn’t take away from any of its unique flavor. There in front of me, a package of prosciutto presented itself, leftover from making a big batch of collard greens (more on those at Thanksgiving!) earlier in the week. About 1.5 ounces remained of the 3 oz package, so I cut it up into 1-inch pieces, and tossed them in at the end. I wanted an element of smokiness to round out the other flavors, but didn’t want to overwhelm the dish with too much saltiness (parmesan cheese is naturally salty, plus coarse kosher salt is added in for additional seasoning). What I ended up with in each bite was salty-meaty bits of prosciutto, savoriness from the creamy cheese sauce, and a big hit of brightness coming not only from the lemon zest and juice in the sauce, but the long strips of lemon zest added on top. It was, in a word, perfetto!

This recipe is quick, easy, and can feed a family of four with the possibility of leftovers for lunch the next day. A delicious win-win if you ask me!

Pasta al Limone e Prosciutto

What You’ll Need:

• 1 lemon

• 16 oz spaghetti

• Coarse kosher salt

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

• 1.5 oz prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Using a vegetable peeler or very sharp knife, cut 4 2-inch long strips of lemon zest. Slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands, then set aside for later. Using a microplane, finely zest the rest of the lemon into a large pot that can withstand high temperatures (like a dutch oven). Into a small bowl, juice the lemon until you’ve got about 2 tablespoons. Set aside for later.

In a large pot of boiling, liberally-salted water (the pasta water should taste like the ocean) cook the pasta following the package directions for al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add the heavy whipping cream to the pot with the grated lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often. Do this until the cream has come to a simmer (this should take about 2-4 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium-low, then whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure each addition of butter has completely melted before adding another. Once all the butter has been added and the sauce looks thicker and creamier, remove the pot from the heat.

Just before removing the pasta from the pot of boiling water, carefully ladle about 1 cup of pasta water into a clean measuring cup. Add about 3/4 of the pasta water to the cream sauce and return the cream sauce to medium heat. Use tongs to transfer the pasta from the pot with boiling water to the pot of the cream sauce. Cook the pasta in the cream sauce, making sure to toss often. At this point, begin adding the grated parmesan in small increments until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is creamy. Next, add the prosciutto and continue to cook, tossing the pasta often, until the prosciutto has had a chance to warm up, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with kosher salt to taste.

Transfer the pasta to bowls and season with freshly ground black pepper. Top with the lemon zest strips and sprinkle on a little more parmesan cheese if preferred.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit

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Learning the Language of Latkes

For three weeks I've had one dish on my mind: latkes. So what is a latke you ask? For those who don't know, here's an official definition:

Noun (in Jewish cooking) A pancake, esp. one made with grated potato.

Now here's my (unofficial) definition:

Noun

Circular potato pancake of deliciousness. 

I am officially on break for a month, thus: the perfect time to start cookin'! And boy, was this dish an easy blast!

Here we go!

It took me absolute ages to peel these potatoes, but I made it happen! A good vegetable peeler is an essential tool for the kitchen. Without it, I would have used that knife, and I'd probably still be peeling. (Okay, honestly, the peeler probably just saved me 10-15 minutes tops.  Still!)

Next, in order to fit the onions and potatoes into the food processor for shredding, I had to cut them up into little pieces. I'm happy to announce that the onions did not sting my eyes, as they usually do. I don't normally have access to food processors at my apartment, so using one definitely saved me some time. If you've got one, use it. Some recipes call for graters, which I'm sure work fine, but if you're planning on making latkes for a dinner party, or planning on having leftovers, a food processor is the way to go.

The recipe calls for 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and one large egg, but since I used two potatoes, I ended up doubling the recipe. Adding the freshly shredded and drained potato/onion mixture to the...well, mix, I whisked it all together until everything was coated.

Latke time! Here's what I learned:

1. When the recipe tells you to scoop a mere teaspoon of latke mix into a pan, do it. I decided to take spoonfuls because I wanted bigger cakes, but that was a MISTAKE. They cooked slower than I wanted, and I just didn't feel in control at all.

2. Although the recipe called for peanut oil, I found that extra virgin olive oil does the trick nicely as well.

3. You'll have to use more oil than what the recipe suggests.

Here, I finally started to get the hang of it. (Notice that I heeded the recipe's advice and lessened my spooning size. )

FINALLY, FINALLY I got it! Perfect size, good crispness. What I learned:

1. YOU MUST WATCH THESE CAREFULLY. These cakes are much smaller, and significantly thinner, so they crisp before you know it. One minute is a pretty solid amount of time, but every cake crisps differently.

2. If you've got an electric stove like I've got at home, the heat should be at about 6. If you've got a gas stove like I've got at my apartment, 5 or 6 is probably a good, safe place to remain.

Into the tupperware they go, ready to be eaten tomorrow for dinner!!

Doubling the recipe made a TON, and this is a great food item to make in advance, and they're great re-heated. What's also great is that these aren't just for dinner parties! Potato pancakes can be enjoyed at breakfast, or as hor d'oeuvres with some yummy topping combinations!

Oh! And here's the recipe from Smitten Kitchen!

1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled 1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Peanut oil, for frying

In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Happy Cooking!!