Summer Fettuccine with Crispy Feta & Hot Honey

Sweet charred corn, blistered tomatoes, golden feta and toasted pine nuts, finished with fresh basil and a drizzle of spicy hot honey.

Real food. Real cooking. Human tested. 🍋

When life gives you lemons, make something delicious!

Vegetarian • High-Fiber • Summer Dinner • Pasta • Quick & Easy • Sweet & Spicy

Jump to the recipe

The Story Behind This Recipe

I wasn't feeling all that inspired, but my neighbor keeps bringing over fresh tomatoes, and I needed to do something with them!

This is a recipe to make at the peak of summer, when everything is just so delicious. I had a few ears of corn that I'd bought without any particular plan, some zucchini that had been sitting in the fridge for about a week, and a block of feta.

So, after a little brainstorming, here's what I came up with!

And if you're wondering, all the recipes I share are tested in my own kitchen, and I use photos from the cooking process.

Recipe

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

For the pasta

• 8–10 oz high-fiber fettuccine (I used Al Dente roasted garlic fettuccine)

• 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (or substitute 1 cup frozen corn)

• 2 cups fresh tomatoes, cut into large pieces

• 1 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons (optional)

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced (about 2 light tablespoons)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• ¼ tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh oregano

• ½ cup reserved pasta water, plus more as needed

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  
  

For the crispy feta

• 8 oz block feta, cut into 4 thick slabs

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Freshly ground black pepper

• A pinch of oregano

  
  

For the homemade hot honey

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes, adjusted to taste

• ¼ tsp fresh lemon juice

  
  

To finish

• 3 tbsp pine nuts

• ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil, torn

• Zest of ½ lemon

• 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 1–2 tsp homemade hot honey, for drizzling over the feta

• Extra olive oil, if desired

Instructions

1. Get everything ready

Prep all your vegetables, remove the corn from the cobs and start heating a large pot of salted water for the pasta.

2. Toast the pine nuts

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently until lightly golden. Transfer immediately to a bowl and set aside.

My trick: As soon as they start to turn golden brown, turn off the heat and give the pan a few more tosses. They'll continue to brown in the hot pan, which helps prevent them from burning.

3. Make the hot honey

Combine the honey and red pepper flakes in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10–15 seconds, just until warm and runny. Don't let it boil.

Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes to infuse. Add the lemon juice and strain out the pepper flakes if desired, I left mine in.

Alternatively, warm the honey and pepper flakes in a small saucepan over very low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Set aside until you're ready to serve.

4. Cook the pasta

Cook the fettuccine in salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

5. Char the vegetables

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the corn and zucchini in a single layer. Season with approximately ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables develop some nicely browned, charred spots. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

6. Blister the tomatoes

In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil, followed by the tomatoes. Season with approximately ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Cook for 3–5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to blister and soften but still hold some of their shape. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.

7. Sear the feta

Pat the feta slabs dry with paper towels. Lightly season with black pepper and a pinch of oregano. There's no need for additional salt since feta is already quite salty.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a separate nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Gently sear the feta for 2–3 minutes on the first side, then carefully flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until golden.

My tip: Don't move the feta too early! Give it time to develop a golden crust before attempting to flip it. Some feta softens rather than browns, so handle it gently.

8. Bring everything together

Return the corn and zucchini to the skillet with the tomatoes.

Add the cooked fettuccine, ½ cup reserved pasta water and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss over low heat until everything is lightly coated, adding more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.

9. Finish and serve

Remove the pasta from the heat. Add the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and most of the fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Divide the pasta among four plates and top each serving with a slab of warm, crispy feta. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and the remaining basil. Finish with a light drizzle of hot honey over the feta, approximately ½ teaspoon per serving.

A Few Cooking Notes

The pine nuts are best added at the very end so they stay crunchy. Likewise, add the fresh basil after removing the pasta from the heat to preserve its flavor and color.

The hot honey is meant to be a finishing drizzle, not part of the pasta sauce. You want little bursts of sweet heat against the salty feta rather than making the entire dish sweet.

Because feta is naturally salty, taste the finished pasta before adding more salt.

If you have leftover hot honey containing fresh lemon juice, refrigerate it.

What I Thought!

Wow! This one was really delicious. Salty, sweet, spicy—all in one dish! The hot honey with the crispy feta was so good, and the toasted pine nuts added a wonderful little crunch.

If I ordered this at a restaurant, I wouldn't be disappointed! Definitely one I'll be making again.

Pantry Swaps- Substitutions

Zucchini: You could easily swap the zucchini for red bell peppers. They would add a little more sweetness to the dish, especially if you let them get nicely charred.

Corn: Frozen corn would definitely work instead of fresh. Just make sure to cook off any excess moisture so you can still get those delicious charred edges.

Fresh basil: The basil really shines in this recipe, but I think fresh flat-leaf parsley could be wonderful here, too. Basil is sweet, aromatic and slightly peppery, while parsley has a grassier, mildly bitter flavor that would complement the feta and pine nuts nicely. If you substitute parsley, I'd add a little extra lemon to brighten everything up.