Description
Baked Feta Chickpeas is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring roasted cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and garlic combined with creamy, bubbling feta cheese. This easy-to-make, comforting recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner served with toasted bread and fresh basil for a touch of herbaceous brightness.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 16 oz. cherry tomatoes, stemmed, washed
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (4″ x 3″) block feta (about 8 oz.)
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
- Toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400°F to ensure an even roasting temperature for the ingredients.
- Prepare and Roast Tomato Mixture: In a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, combine the cherry tomatoes, drained chickpeas, finely chopped garlic, 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss everything together to coat the ingredients evenly. Roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and begin releasing their juices.
- Slice and Add Feta: While the tomato mixture roasts, slice the block of feta cheese lengthwise into 4 planks approximately 3/4 inch thick. Nestle these feta planks gently into the roasted tomato and chickpea mixture. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top.
- Continue Roasting: Return the baking dish to the oven and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the feta softens and the tomatoes become saucy and fully burst.
- Broil for Finish: Remove the baking dish from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Place the dish back under the broiler, watching closely, for 2 to 3 minutes until the tomatoes and feta blister and develop a lovely browned char.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven, top the dish with fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately with toasted bread on the side to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Notes
- This dish is tossed in a fresh, vibrant cherry tomato sauce with slabs of bubbling, browned feta cheese, making it a perfect, simple weeknight dinner.
- For extra heat, increase the crushed red pepper flakes or serve with a drizzle of chili oil.
- Use a sturdy toasted bread like sourdough or rustic country loaf to scoop up the saucy mixture.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and gently reheated in the oven to retain the texture of the feta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 481
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 977 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
