Local farmers have experienced a tough summer growing season due to the rain. It’s important to support our Maine farms as much as possible before the colder, less profitable seasons. Here’s a recipe for how we are turning our Maine cherry tomatoes into Local Baked Feta Pasta.
Ingredients:
- 1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes (you’ll notice in the photos we supplemented large heirloom tomatoes because we didn’t have a full pint)
- Note: Cherry tomatoes are a bit sweeter than larger heirloom tomatoes! Keep that in mind when mixing tomato sizes.
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 4oz of Feta – we recommend Saco River Goat Cheese Basil Feta, it’s delicious!
- Note: Feta is super salty. We used half the chunk pictured above.
- Bag of pasta, any short shape – we recommend locally-made Piccolo or Amolitta
- 3 tbsp of Olive Oil – we recommend Olive Harvest
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Basil to garnish
- Toasted Pinenuts (optional)
- Smashed croutons (optional)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Chop onion and spread amongst the cherry tomatoes onto a sheet pan. Place the feta chunk in the center with pinenuts and drizzle everything with olive oil.
- While the tomatoes and cheese bake, boil a pot of hot water and cook pasta.
- Bake for 30 minutes of until tomatoes are jammy and onions are browned. Cheese should also be melted and gooey.
- Place all ingredients from the sheet pace into a blender and pulse until combined. If you like a chunkier sauce, skip this step!
- Strain pasta and add to your now smooth sauce.
- Top with extra toasted pinenuts, smashed croutons and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
Wine Pairing:
Cicada’s Song Rosé.
- Smell: fresh red berries, melon, and sweet white flowers.
- Taste: fleshy stone fruit and light raspberry, framed by wild herbs and white pepper.
- Pair with: seafood, grilled meat, fresh pasta with basil.
Find all of these ingredients and more at your neighborhood Rosemont.