Savor the rich flavors of the Mediterranean with our Greek Pasta Bake featuring crumbled feta cheese. This hearty dish combines al dente pasta with a delicious blend of tomatoes, olives, garlic, and eggplant, all baked to perfection.
We all love a good pasta with meat sauce, but sometimes we just want to make a light pasta dish without any meat. This Greek Pasta Bake to the rescue! Just like my Greek Pasta Salad or my penne pomodoro, this easy pasta is made in under an hour and perfect for a meatless Monday dinner.
The creamy feta adds a delightful tanginess and a hint of salty goodness. Elevate your dinner table with this easy-to-make yet impressively flavorful Greek-inspired pasta bake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's full of veggies! This pasta is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. It's loaded with eggplant, tomatoes, red onion, and celery.
- It's a great make ahead meal! You can make this up to a day before you want to serve it, or you can make it up to 3 months in advance and then bake it when you are ready to enjoy it.
- It's versatile! You can add whatever vegetables you would like and you can even add some ground beef or chicken to give the dish a little more protein.
What is Greek Pasta Bake?
This Greek pasta bake is a combination of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, feta and mozzarella cheese, and your favorite type of pasta. Though it is not traditionally Greek, it is Mediterranean and Greek inspired.
List of Ingredients in Greek Pasta Bake
- Pasta. I used ziti in this recipe but you can use shells, rotini, penne, bucatini pasta, or whatever your family's favorite type of pasta is.
- Olive Oil. This will help the veggies roast in the oven so they don't dry out. It will also help make the sauce that the pasta will be tossed with.
- Vegetables. We will be using red onion, one large eggplant, garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and celery stalks.
- Feta. Feta is classic in Greek recipes. It is a soft cheese that is slightly salty and oh-so good! I love using it in my Instant Pot feta pasta based on the viral Tiktok baked feta dish. You can also make it into a feta dip for dessert! It's really versatile! A kefalotyri cheese, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, or cheddar cheese can all be used in addition to feta or instead of feta. Crumbled feta or a block of feta that you crumble yourself can be used.
Step by Step Instructions
Best Pasta To Use in This Greek Pasta Bake
Penne pasta is classic, but rotini, farfalle, or your family's favorite pasta can be used. You can also use a gluten free pastas or a chick pea pasta too if you are a gluten free family. You can even use a spaghetti like this baked spaghetti and meatballs if you family loves spaghetti.
Substitutions and Variations
- For a deeper tomato flavor, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce or tomato sauce into the casserole dish with the vegetables. This will also make a thicker, deeper sauce for this Greek pasta bake recipe.
- Add a meat! Feel free to add some ground beef, ground chicken, ground lamb, ground turkey, or diced chicken to this recipe. It will up the protein and make it a more filling pasta dish for your family.
- Add more veggies! Zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, or your family favorite veggies can all be added to the baking dish and roasted with the current vegetables.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave or reheat it in a baking dish in the oven.
Make Ahead Instructions
Make the recipe completely and cool unbaked casserole. Cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before you would like to serve it. When you are ready to bake it, remove the aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes.
How To Freeze Greek Pasta Bake
Make the Greek pasta bake completely and let it cool to room temperature. Cover it with aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. 24 hours before you are ready to serve it, place it in the refrigerator to defrost it. Top with feta or mozzarella cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until it is heated through.
Greek Pasta Bake FAQs
We are using feta cheese and kalamata olives which are inherently Greek. This isn't a traditional Greek dish, it is more Greek or Mediterranean inspired.
No! If you don't want to bake the pasta once it is mixed with the vegetables, you don't have to. You do have to cook the vegetables before you add it to the pasta, but you can sauté those too instead of baking them.
Sure! Simply find a plant based cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
More Pasta Recipes
- Meatless Baked Ziti
- Pizza Casserole with Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Meaty Marinara Baked Pasta
Did you make this recipe and love it?
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📖 Recipe
Greek Pasta Bake with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant Chopped
- 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes or Grape tomatoes
- 2 Celery Stalks
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 small Red Onion Chopped
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Pasta Your favorite shape
- ½ cup Kalamata Olives Cut in half
- 1 ½ cups Feta Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Chop the eggplant, red onion, celery stalks, and garlic. Add the eggplant, red onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic to the baking dish. Place it in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water boils, add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Remove the veggies from the oven. Carefully, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and add it to the veggies. Drain the pasta and add the pasta to the baking dish along with the feta and kalamata olives. Mix all the ingredients together and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- For a deeper tomato flavor, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce or tomato sauce into the casserole dish with the vegetables. This will also make a thicker, deeper sauce for this Greek pasta bake recipe.
- Add a meat! Feel free to add some ground beef, ground chicken, ground lamb, ground turkey, or diced chicken to this recipe. Sauté it while the pasta is cooking. It will up the protein and make it a more filling pasta dish for your family.
- Add more veggies! Zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, or your family favorite veggies can all be added to the baking dish and roasted with the current vegetables.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave or reheat it in a baking dish in the oven.
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