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Greek Pasta with Feta and Olives

A lightning-fast, 25-minute Mediterranean meal featuring tender penne pasta, blistered cherry tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives, and creamy feta cheese tossed in a garlic herb olive oil sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta & Base
  • 1 lb penne pasta or similar tubular pasta
  • 1 cup starchy pasta water reserved from boiling pasta
  • 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
Greek Mix-Ins & Aromatics
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
  • 6 oz feta cheese block feta, crumbled by hand
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice about half a lemon
  • 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Large pasta pot
  • Large deep skillet
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Colander

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  2. Before draining the pasta, carefully scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the rest of the pasta.
  3. While pasta boils, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and dried oregano to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften and blister.
  5. Reduce heat to low. Add the warm, drained pasta to the skillet. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss vigorously to create a light emulsion. Add more water if needed.
  6. Remove the skillet entirely from the heat.
  7. Add the sliced Kalamata olives, hand-crumbled feta cheese, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Toss gently to combine until the feta is slightly warmed but still chunky.
  8. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

Using block feta packed in brine instead of pre-crumbled feta ensures a much creamier texture. Leftovers can be eaten warm or served cold straight from the fridge like a pasta salad!