Keto Baked Feta with Spinach

This TikTok-famous baked feta pasta recipe broke the internet and caused grocery stores to scramble for stocks of feta cheese for good reason. This easy-to-make dish is flavorful, easy to put together, and you can add whatever protein and vegetables you have on hand!  

Jump to:

• Another Tiktok Trend food?!?
• Where did the Baked Feta Pasta start?
• A few Reasons to Love Feta
• What to use instead of crumbled feta?
• Spinach is a super food!
• What type of tomatoes should you use for Baked Feta Pasta?
• How can we make baked feta pasta without the pasta?
• Some other keto pasta options you may enjoy:
• Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
• Ingredients for Baked Feta Pasta
• Keto Feta Bake

Another Tiktok Trend food?!?

To be honest, I avoided this recipe when I saw it going around. I mean, it was just baked feta pasta, that sounds really basic. There wasn’t any feta at the stores and I figured it was just another trendy underwhelming recipe (can you say dalgona coffee). 

I was completely wrong. I make this baked feta meal almost weekly now and it comes out amazing every single time. Not only is it a hearty, warm, tasty meal, it also is really easy to sub in any vegetables or proteins we have left in the fridge. It’s a great weeknight meal for anyone!

Where did the Baked Feta Pasta start?

When I did some research to write this, I found the original recipe here and I wanted to make sure I shared it! I changed a few things, though. While the changes might not make it a trendy, 5 ingredient meal or whatever, the dish is still extremely easy to throw together and, personally, I think the changes really enhance the flavors overall.

• Spinach to bulk up the vegetables. You could really add any vegetables to this dish – I’m going to add sautéed mushrooms and zucchini next time I make it.
• Garlic. The original recipe does not call for garlic, which sounds CRAZY to me, since garlic compliments all of the flavors so well. I add garlic, a lot of it!
• More tomatoes. Not only can you use any of the smaller tomatoes you can find, I like to add a lot of tomatoes to make this sauce more… saucy… to balance with the feta.
• More olive oil  – this helps create more of a sauce and adds to the flavor.
• No salt is needed. I find feta very salty and adding more salt to the dish seems unnecessary.

A few Reasons to Love Feta

I love feta cheese. It’s tangy, salty, and versatile. It’s the lowest calorie cheese and only 1g of carbs per ounce, making it a great option for anyone watching their calories and carbs.

What to use instead of crumbled feta?

If feta just isn’t for you, you could replace it with goat cheese, Boursin cheese, or cream cheese for this recipe – changing the cheese will significantly increase the calories, though, so be mindful of what your body needs!

Note: you do not have to find a brick of feta to do this recipe – with the ebb and flow of availability in grocery stores and the popularity of this dish, block feta can be difficult to get. I have used the crumbled feta several times and it works just as well!

Spinach is a super food!

Spinach – Spinach is such a great vegetable to add to meals, especially ones like this where you can almost ‘hide’ it under mountains of sauce and cheese. It’s very low carb and mostly fiber! Spinach, especially when cooked, has a light taste and contains a lot of powerful antioxidants that promote skin health and immune function. Eating spinach might also benefit eye health, help prevent cancer, and reduce blood pressure levels. It’s just good for you, okay?!

What type of tomatoes should you use for Baked Feta Pasta?

You can use almost any variety of tomato for this dish!

Grape tomatoes are a perfect option for those who like more rustic-style tomato pieces, since the dish will then have a higher ratio of skin to tomato flesh and the grape tomatoes won’t burst easily or mash up much.

If you want more of a tomato sauce, rather than simply pieces of tomato, I like to use campari tomatoes. Camparis are bigger, a little sweeter, and have thinner skin, so they mix in really well! If you have kiddos and they don’t care for a lot of tomatoes, use campari tomatoes!

How can we make baked feta pasta without the pasta?

There are quite a few different low carb pasta options now widely available or vegetables that are great for pasta. I really think it should be based on what the sauce flavors are before I decide what noodle option I am going to prepare.

Edamame Spaghetti

I have been using this Liviva Edamame Spaghetti from Amazon and it has been such a great low carb, high fiber option. You prepare it by cooking it in boiling water for about 5 minutes, rinse, and toss with sauce. It really doesn’t get any easier than that!

Spaghetti Squash

This is, by far, the EASIEST keto noodle replacement! You can find it in any grocery store, and it’s simple and easy to prepare. It has a nice, sweet taste that balances well with spicy sauces and pairs really nicely with stronger sauces like the tomato-based sauce here. Spaghetti squash isn’t the best with lighter flavored sauces, but it’s perfect in this recipe. If you’re not sure how to prepare it, take a look at my recipe for Mom’s Chicken Spaghetti, where I have step-by-step instructions for making the perfect spaghetti squash.

Some other keto pasta options you may enjoy:

Make your own keto noodles from vegetables

Using a spiralizer is a really easy way to make noodle-like vegetables at home for any dish. You can use different vegetables such as zucchini, butternut squash, or carrots, or you can even chop up cabbage into thin strips. Most grocery stores have pre-spiralized vegetables in their produce or frozen sections for an even easier meal.

Make low carb noodles

There are a few different keto dough recipes that can be used to create low carb noodles. Here are a couple popular ones:

Keto Noodle Recipe from Low Carb Yum

Grain Free Keto Pasta from Gnom Gnom

Buy low carb pasta alternatives

Shirataki and kelp noodles are great options and can be found at many grocery stores now – you have to cook them in a very specific way to make them have a good texture and, well, not stink, but they absolutely work. How do you make shirataki noodles? Rinse, rinse, RINSE, and then toss them into a hot skillet for a couple of minutes, constantly stirring, right before you’re ready to serve!

Palmini Noodles

Palmini noodles can be found most often in health stores and are becoming more popular and easier to find in places like Kroger and Walmart. They’re made from hearts of palm and have a bit of a fibrous texture some people enjoy a lot compared to the chewier shirataki option. The flavor is very light and goes well in almost any dish.

Great Low Carb Noodles

Great Low Carb Noodles are hit or miss in the keto community – I know people who use them weekly and I know people who have thrown them away after trying them once or twice. They have a slightly grainy texture, in my opinion, and can fall apart easily if you overcook them but may work well with creamier dishes like this one. I have found they are great for Keto Mac n Cheese! Make a batch of my Better Than Velveeta Keto Cheese Sauce.

Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

I made a mistake!

When I originally saw this recipe for baked feta pasta, the recipe directions included baking the basil with the dish. I have done a little research and I learned that you should add basil at the end of a recipe or it will lose its potency if cooked too long. I didn’t notice when I made it, I thought it was still wonderful. I did write the directions for this recipe with the proper way to use basil, but if you want to add it in to bake, go for it!

This recipe really can not get any easier! Other than washing the produce and mincing the garlic, we are going to add everything to a dish and bake until everything is hot and browned on top. 

Ingredients for Baked Feta Pasta

• 1 6-8 oz package feta- any feta you can find will work!
• 3 cups spinach- I usually like to use an entire bag which is about 8 oz
• 1/2 cup olive oil- When I am making a smaller version of this dish, I use less oil so please adjust as you see fit.
• 1 box cherry tomatoes or about 8-10 oz
• 1 bunch basil about 2 oz- Add more as you see fit!
• 1 tbsp minced garlic- I love garlic and add a lot based on who will be eating this dish.
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes– If you aren’t a fan of spice you can leave this out completely and the flavor will still be top notch.