roasted feta caprese skillet
Every time I eat this dish, I’m blown away by how good it is considering how easy it is to make. It’s just a handle of ingredients that I consider staples in the summer months: cherry tomatoes (I love the round and sweet Sunset flavor bombs, which I buy at Trader Joe’s), a can of chickpeas, sliced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and chunks of salty feta cheese.
You’ll finish it with pesto and balsamic vinegar as a nod to caprese, but I’m using feta instead of mozzarella because I love the way it softens in the oven. If you do want to use fresh mozzarella (or burrata), I’d recommend adding it after everything comes out of the oven, right before dolloping on the pesto.
My favorite store-bought pesto
If you have the time and ingredients to make your own pesto, by all means go for it. But ever since I discovered Gotham Greens pesto (I buy it at Whole Foods), I’ve rarely felt the need. It’s so incredibly vibrant (which is rare for a store-bought pesto) and adds fresh flavor to everything it touches. Highly, highly recommend! They have a spicy version and a vegan one, too.
how to serve this roasted feta caprese skillet
I like to scoop everything up with a hunk of Trader Joes’ ciabatta demi-baguette, which I drizzle with olive oil and pop under the broiler during the last few minutes of cook time. But you could also serve it over orzo, similar to what I did here.
see it in action…
roasted feta caprese skillet
serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes (20 ounces total)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) block feta, cut into three or four slabs
- pesto and balsamic vinegar, for serving
- toasted baguette or pita, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F with one rack in the center and one in the upper third.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and garlic to a broiler-safe braiser, high-sided skillet, or 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and season with salt, red pepper flakes, and several grinds black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Nestle the feta into the pan and flip to coat in the oil. Bake on the center rack until the tomatoes just begin to split, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the baking dish to the upper oven rack and broil until everything is blistered to your liking, 5 to 10 minutes. (Pop some bread in there to toast, too).
- Finish with a few spoonfuls of pesto, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and more red pepper flakes and black pepper, if desired. Serve with toasty bread.
Super easy and delicious! Made as is!
Success! Yay!
We made this on the yacht with butter beans in place of chickpeas. Also we didn’t have pesto but we added a 1/4 cup of finely chopped basil while preparing it. After we took it out of the oven we drizzled it in mission fig balsamic reduction and more chopped basil.
Next time we’ll use pesto as it would be excellent with some!
Your swaps and additions sound excellent!! So glad you enjoyed it.
Love your recipes! One pot dinners?
Delicious! I was nervous to try without reviews but I did and it was awesome. I’ll definitely make it again. Super easy to throw together too!
Yes! One of the best parts of this recipe — couldn’t be easier!