Roasted Garlic, Spinach & Feta Pasta with Spicy Breadcrumbs

Super easy and delicious and pastas are exactly what you need when you are running short of time or inspiration.

This no-cook pasta sauce is cream and hits all the flavour buttons with salty feta, creamy roasted garlic and fragrant basil.

I love the addition of the breadcrumbs for texture as well as the little pockets of flavour from the roasted tomatoes.

Seasonal Swaps: If you would like to use kale or chard here, briefly blanch in water for a few minutes until bright green, drain and use.

Vegan: Omit the feta and use a few tablespoons nutritional yeast, you might need to adjust the seasoning.

• 300g pasta of choice
• 200g baby tomatoes halved (opt)
• 1/2 whole garlic, roasted (see note)
• 2 handfuls (cups) baby spinach
• 1 handful (cup) basil leaves (no stalks)
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
• lots of pepper
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 cup feta (opt)

Breadcrumbs

• 2 thickly sliced good bread
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 pinch chilli flakes (more if you like a kick)

1. Roasted Tomatoes: This is optional but I love the colour and pockets of tangy and sweet tomatoes running through the pasta. Preheat the oven to 180c, roast the tomatoes on a small baking sheet until caramelised, about 20minutes, keep aside.
2. Whizz the breadcrumb ingredients together until a scruffy looking crumb. We will use the same food processor bowl for our sauce so no need to wash. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook the breadcrumbs until golden, remove from the heat. The crumb will harden as it cools down.
3. Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until perfectly al dente. NB: we will use one cup of salted pasta water for our sauce.
4. Meanwhile, whizz the spinach, feta, olive oil, roasted garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in the food processor until smooth, scraping the sides once or twice. Let the motor run a bit we want the sauce to really come together. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed. Add 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce.
5. Drain the pasta when al dente and add the sauce, stir well. Add the roasted tomatoes and season with pepper.
6. To serve, ladle the pasta into warmed bowls, topped with parmesan or feta if using, spicy breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic: Preheat the oven to 180c. Wrap whole or halved garlic in foil and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and simply squeeze to release the soft garlic cloves. So good to add to hummus, spread on hot buttered toast or add to sauces and dressings.