This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.There are so many reasons to love this meatless Pasta with Feta Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Spinach! It takes only 30 minutes, uses basic ingredients, and is packed with flavor! Serve this healthy Mediterranean pasta dish as a vegetarian meal or a meatless side with grilled meats, rotisserie chicken, salmon, or shrimp. The recipe is versatile and flexible to suit anybody’s taste!

Mediterranean pasta with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes

This feta pasta is a perfect weeknight dinner for busy weekdays as it takes only 30 minutes and can be made ahead (refrigerated or frozen). Everything is cooked on the stovetop. It’s a healthy meal that features traditional Mediterranean diet ingredients such as lemon, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and paprika. You can easily adjust it to be dairy-free and gluten-free. It also makes a beautiful presentation, and you can serve it on special occasions as a meatless meal or a side dish to grilled meats and seafood whenever you’re entertaining. If you’d like more Mediterranean pasta inspiration, check out my Greek shrimp orzo and tomato spinach chicken spaghetti.

What makes feta pasta so special?

• Fresh ingredients. This recipe is a great way to incorporate healthy veggies into your dinner. It’s packed with spinach, cherry tomatoes, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and garlic. You can add even more veggies, such as asparagus, bell peppers, or mushrooms. Feta cheese adds a salty and briny flavor.
• Easy but fancy! Bow tie pasta with feta and cherry tomatoes looks and tastes like a restaurant-quality dish. It’s colorful, vibrant, and not boring. The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for entertaining guests.
• Great for meal prep. This recipe can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 1 month!

The ingredients

• Pasta. I used bow tie (farfalle), and I recommend short-cut pasta here of any kind: rigatoni, orecchiette, penne, or fusilli.
• Tomatoes. I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half. They make a beautiful presentation. This is a great recipe for showcasing high-quality tomatoes.
• Spinach. I used fresh. You can use frozen, too (thawed and drained of any liquid). Other leafy greens that will work well in feta pasta are arugula or kale.
• Garlic. I used lots of fresh minced garlic. It’s a must as garlic really adds so much flavor to the tomatoes!
• Feta cheese – use a fresh block of cheese or crumbled Feta – either works!
• Olive oil is used to cook the tomatoes.
• Italian seasoning adds a ton of flavor. You can also use Herbs De Provance or dried oregano.
• Paprika adds nice flavor and color!
• Salt and pepper. I recommend using freshly ground or coarse black pepper.

How to make feta pasta with cherry tomatoes

Below are step-by-step photos and an overview of the instructions. The detailed recipe (with the ingredient amounts) is in the recipe card below.

1) Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain when it’s cooked. Proceed with the rest of the recipe in the meantime.

2) Cook cherry tomatoes (halved) together with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet for about 2 minutes until they soften and release juices.

3) Add fresh spinach and cook until it wilts.

4) Add crumbled feta cheese.

5) Assemble by adding cooked and drained bow-tie pasta to the skillet with the veggies and feta. Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine, for 1 minute.

Variations and substitutions

• This is a great recipe for leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.  Just throw it together with the pasta, heat it through, and serve!
• Veggies. My favorite veggies to add to any Mediterranean pasta are chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach. Pick and choose YOUR favorites!
• Other leafy greens, besides spinach, that you can use are arugula or kale.
• Cheese. This recipe uses feta cheese. You can also add small Mozzarella balls (pearls), sliced Mozzarella, or cubed Parmesan. Or, add grated Parmesan.
• Lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!

What kind of pasta is best here?

• Shapes of pasta. Short-cut pasta works great, such as farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, or penne. But you can use any pasta you like, including spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, farfalle, penne, or rigatoni.
• Protein-rich gluten-free pasta is a great choice here, too. My favorites are chickpea and lentil pasta.
• Stuffed pasta, such as store-bought ravioli or tortellini is a great option!!

What kind of feta cheese is best here?

You can use either a block of feta cheese that you crumble or you can use crumbled feta, too. I prefer a block of cheese as it’s the freshest.

Can you make it gluten-free?

Use your favorite gluten-free pasta. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free!

Can you make it dairy-free?

Use dairy-free, vegan feta cheese instead of regular feta.

Storage and reheating tips

• Fridge. Store cooked feta pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
• Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat the leftovers in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave oven, and stir the pasta. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 more seconds or more, until heated through.
• Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat the leftovers over low-medium heat in any kind of appropriately sized cooking pan. Add a small amount of olive oil and just a touch of water when reheating, and stir the pasta often.

Add protein to turn feta pasta into a complete meal!

Add leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled meats, shrimp, salmon, or scallops. Here are my favorite protein-based recipes that will pair well with the feta and cherry tomato pasta: