12 Minute, $2.60 Feta-Tomato Pasta

Hey there!

I spent some time testing four broiler pasta tricks and one creamy feta number stole the show at only $2.60 a plate. Here is how you can whip it up fast using your broiler instead of multiple pans.

The prices below come straight from Nahren, the free grocery price finder that shows every local store side by side. Open the app, spot the cheapest cart in seconds, and keep dinner under three bucks. Compare prices with Nahren →

Ingredients (Serves 4, about $2.60 each)

*Prices pulled with Nahren on August 01 for Athens, GA.

Method

1. Start two things at once. Set a pot of well-salted water to boil for the pasta and position an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler and turn the broiler to high.

2. Build the bake. In a 9×13 inch casserole dish add tomatoes, the whole feta block nestled in the center, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, and all the olive oil.

3. Broil 8 minutes. The tomatoes should blister and split and the top of the feta will turn golden.

4. Cook the pasta while that happens. Drop penne into the boiling water and cook 7 minutes until a minute shy of al dente, then reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain.

5. Make the sauce. Using a wooden spoon, smash the hot feta and tomatoes together into a creamy sauce and add the drained pasta with a splash of reserved water until glossy.

6. Finish and serve. Stir in ribboned basil, taste for salt and pepper, and plate immediately.

Tips

• Block feta (cheaper per ounce than crumbles) yields a silkier sauce once smashed!

• The broiler timing perfectly matches pasta cooking time, so both finish at the same moment for maximum efficiency.

• Add frozen veggies to your pasta water in the last 2 minutes to stay under three bucks with extra greens!

Know someone who's still addicted to takeout? Forward this and give their wallet some help.

See you next week,

Andrew