Halloumi is the squeaky cheese that everybody loves, and it is so versatile. Why not skip the cheddar and Parmesan on your next pasta night and use halloumi instead? This delicious Halloumi Pasta is mixed with roasted tomatoes for a fresh and light pasta dish that still tastes super comforting.
The first time we mixed pasta and halloumi together was the result of some BBQ leftovers that we didn't want to waste and it was pretty life changing. Halloumi has such a great meaty texture, that it is perfect for a meat free pasta dish that still has plenty of flavour.
With very little effort, and using ingredients you probably have in your fridge and cupboard anyway, you can make an impressive pasta dish that is a little different from the norm. Roasted tomatoes really lift this dish and make it a little lighter, and the sweetness of them compliment the saltiness of the halloumi perfect.
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Why should you try it?
- An easy pasta dish
- Great for using up leftovers
- Less than 30 minutes to cook
- Great for feeding a crowd at a BBQ
Step by step
One: Put the tomatoes in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season. Put in a preheated oven at 180C for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blister.
Two: Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
Three: Heat a frying pan and add the halloumi and dry fry for around 4 minutes, stirring.
Four: Drain the pasta and put it back in the pan. Stir in the cream cheese, lemon juice, fresh basil and salt pepper.
Five: Add the cooked tomatoes and halloumi to the pan and stir, then serve.
What is halloumi?
If you haven’t had halloumi before, then you are seriously missing out. You are in for a treat! The semi-hard cheese originated from Cyprus and although it doesn’t taste like much straight from the packet, it tastes amazing once cooked and has a whole different texture.
It can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s cheese, and has quite a salty flavour – which is what we love about it. Because of its high melting point, it’s great for grilling and frying and it keeps its shape meaning you get nice chunky bits in this pasta.
Is halloumi healthy?
Halloumi is high in protein and calcium, but it is also high in fat and salt, so keep and eye on portion size. It's a great addition to a pasta dish because you can use it for little bursts of flavour rather than it being overpowering and too high in calories.
How to cook halloumi
We find dry frying the best way to cook halloumi because it is quick and doesn't require any oil for cooking. Simply add it to a hot frying pan in cubes and cook for around 3-4 minutes, turning so all sides are cooked.
The pasta sauce
Just because you can never have enough cheese in your life, we added a couple of spoonfuls of cream cheese to the pasta to form the base of the sauce, and then just a squeeze of lemon. Add in some fresh chopped basil and some salt and pepper and you have a really simple pasta sauce that lets the flavour of the halloumi shine through.
What vegetables can be added?
Once you have the base of halloumi, pasta and the sauce, you can use pretty much any vegetables. We kept it simple by roasting some tomatoes, as the juices really add to the sauce. But you could roast any other vegetables like courgette, aubergine and peppers, or even stir in some raw spinach and let the hot pasta wilt it.
Extra tips
- You can dry fry the halloumi, without using any oil. But you could cook it under the grill too.
- Give the dish a veggie boost by roasting some peppers, courgette and aubergine at the same time. Or mixing some spinach in just before serving.
- If your lemon is not very juicy, you might need to use a whole one.
- Make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding the halloumi, as it will give it nice crispy edges.
- You won't need to use a lot of salt in this dish, as the halloumi is quite salty anyway.
More halloumi recipes
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DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓
Halloumi Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g cherry/grape tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 140 g penne pasta
- 100 g halloumi cubed
- 3 tbsp cream cheese
- 0.5 lemon juice only
- 25 g fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Put the tomatoes in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season. Put in a preheated oven at 180C for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blister.
- Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
- Heat a frying pan and add the halloumi and dry fry for around 4 minutes, stirring.
- Drain the pasta and put it back in the pan. Stir in the cream cheese, lemon juice, fresh basil and salt pepper.
- Add the cooked tomatoes and halloumi to the pan and stir, then serve.
Notes
- You can dry fry the halloumi, without using any oil. But you could cook it under the grill too.
- Give the dish a veggie boost by roasting some peppers, courgette and aubergine at the same time. Or mixing some spinach in just before serving.
- If your lemon is not very juicy, you might need to use a whole one.
- Make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding the halloumi, as it will give it nice crispy edges.
- You won't need to use a lot of salt in this dish, as the halloumi is quite salty anyway.
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