feta fried egg pesto pasta
I’m admittedly not great at meal planning (or prepping), which means I often find myself staring into the fridge at 6 p.m. That’s where this feta fried egg pesto pasta comes into play: it’s fast, it’s satisfying, and it requires just 5 ingredients that I always keep on hand.
a dinnertime twist on the feta fried egg
If you’re already a fan of the feta fried egg, I know you’re gonna love this version, too. All we’re doing is adding pesto to the egg as it cooks, then serving it over a bed of angel hair pasta for the perfect mix of carbs, fat, and protein. The result is salty, spicy flavors and crispy, creamy textures that come together in every single bite.
my favorite store-bought pesto
Honestly, my biggest piece of advice with this recipe is to keep Gotham Greens pesto on hand at all times. It’s truly the only pesto worth buying and turns a handful of ingredients into a super-special meal. I always buy mine at Whole Foods.
the case for angel hair pasta
Last summer, two things prompted me to start buying angel hair pasta again: this Eater article about its comeback, and this pasta recipe on Cup of Jo (which honestly inspired this entire recipe).
Because it cooks in just two minutes, angel hair really is the perfect summer pasta: it doesn’t heat up your kitchen and it tastes light, too. You’ll toss it with a little more pesto, and then bring the two together in your favorite shallow bowl.
see it in action…
feta fried egg pesto pasta
serves 1 (can easily be scaled up)
Ingredients
- kosher salt (for the pasta water)
- 1 1/2 ounces feta cheese
- homemade or store-bought pesto (I always use Gotham Greens)
- 1 large egg
- red pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces angel hair pasta
- extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place a small crumble of feta into the skillet: if it sizzles, the pan is hot enough for the next step.
- Crumble the remaining feta into the pan, placing it around the perimeter and leaving room for the egg in the center. Dollop a few small spoonfuls of pesto onto the feta.
- At this point, the feta should be melting and bubbling, and maybe the edges are even taking on a bit of color. That means it's time to crack the egg into the center. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes. (No need to add salt, the feta is plenty salty).
- Cover the pan and cook, reducing the heat to medium-low or low if the feta is browning too quickly, until the white is set, the yolk is still runny, and the cheese is crispy. Use a wide, thin spatula to transfer to a plate.
- While the egg is cooking, cook the angel hair in the boiling water according to package directions for al dente (likely ~2 minutes). Drain.
- Add the pasta to the now-empty skillet. (If it's still very hot, you can keep it off the heat. Otherwise, turn the heat to low). Add a dollop of pesto and toss to coat the pasta (I like using tongs for this).
- Transfer the pasta to your favorite pasta bowl and top with the fried egg. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, then break the yolk so it too can coat the pasta. Dig in!
Wonderful recipes!
Thanks so much!