Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese (Super Easy)

This Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese is inspired by a TikTok recipe.

A block of feta is caramelized and softened in the oven with cherry tomatoes and plenty of olive oil, then gently mashed into a creamy, rich, deliciously salty sauce.

With a little fresh basil and the right amount of pasta, you’ve got a gourmet meal on the table in no time.

Why Is This Recipe So Delicious? (Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese)

• The sauce is smooth and creamy, with just enough tomato flavor.
• The baked feta and tomatoes’ natural umami is only amplified by the addition of garlic, fresh basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. The ingredients are basic, but the flavors are spectacular!
• It’s quite simple to make! This recipe requires very little active time to prepare, and it is neither complicated nor difficult. You can prepare this amazing pasta dish if you can mash and stir.

Important Ingredients (Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese)Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese

Feta Cheese – Using the perfect feta cheese is the key to making a really creamy, incredibly rich baked feta sauce. Greek feta is created from sheep’s milk and goat’s milk, and it has a creamier texture than cow’s milk feta.

Try fresh mozzarella, ricotta, goat cheese, or even cream cheese if you don’t like or can’t locate feta (this recipe is producing unnaturally high demand for feta in certain locations!!).

Tomatoes – specifically cherry tomatoes – add a hint of sweetness to this dish, which contrasts beautifully with the saltiness of the feta.

They’re also small enough to cook nicely without requiring any additional effort. If your tomatoes are larger, quarter them before baking.

Pasta — In my opinion, short pasta is better for this recipe, but any pasta will do. Choose your favorite and get to work! Long pasta like spaghetti and fettuccine are other good possibilities.

I like to use aesthetically fascinating noodles like cavatappi or rotini. This time, I went with a tried-and-true penne because it’s so convenient.

Chef’s Advice

• Don’t be scared to personalize this baked feta spaghetti! Crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, or even a little Cajun flavor might be added to the spices. Add some kalamata olives for a more Mediterranean flavor. Red peppers would also be an excellent addition, or possibly a replacement for the tomatoes. Add some spinach and prawns to the mix. The options are limitless!
• The tomatoes may dry out in the oven if your baking dish is too large. Use a small dish with plenty of oil to keep everything close together.
• Feeling peckish? Serve your baked feta and tomato mixture as a dip or spread with crostini or breadsticks instead of pasta.
• This baked feta spaghetti is elevated to new heights with the addition of honey. Before baking, sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of honey over the feta (be careful of flames!). or when everything is mashed together.

Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese

This Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese is inspired by a TikTok recipe that has gone viral for good cause!

A block of feta is caramelized and softened in the oven with cherry tomatoes and plenty of olive oil, then gently mashed into a creamy, rich, deliciously salty sauce.

With a little fresh basil and the right amount of pasta, you’ve got a gourmet meal on the table in no time.

Ingredients For Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese

• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 8-ounce block feta
• 8 ounces short pasta like penne, rigatoni, fusilli, cavatappi
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves for garnish, chopped or chiffonaded (see Notes), divided
• olive oil extra, for finishing

Equipment

• Medium bowl
• 2½- to 3-quart baking dish
• Large pot
• Large spoon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss entire cherry tomatoes with olive oil, 12 tsp salt, and enough black pepper in a medium bowl until fully coated. Fill the baking dish halfway with the mixture. Season with additional black pepper and place a block of feta in the center of the tomatoes.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes have burst and feta has softened. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes and feta are golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the pasta is al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain all except 12 cups of the cooking water and set aside.
   a pot of penne pasta
5. Stir in garlic as soon as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven. To make a smooth and creamy sauce, smash tomatoes and feta with the back of a spoon. It’s fine if some of the oil doesn’t totally blend.
6. In a casserole dish, mix feta and tomatoes with basil and olive oil, with a wooden spoon set across diagonally
7. Toss in the spaghetti with half of the basil until well combined. To assist the mixture form a genuine sauce, add 2 teaspoons of pasta water at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Finish with the remaining basil. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

• Make it Keto/Low Carb: The pasta provides the majority of the carbs in this dish. In place of classic short pasta, use palming pasta, shirataki noodles, or vegetable noodles. This can be reduced to roughly 10g net carbs per serving by using a zero-carb pasta replacement.
• Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: Use feta, ricotta, or mozzarella that is dairy-free.
• Use gluten-free pasta to make it gluten-free.
• To chiffonade basil leaves, stack them on top of each other and coil tightly lengthwise. Slice the roll into thin ribbons using a tiny, sharp knife. Perpendicular to the roll, slice.

Cooking times will vary depending on your oven. Make necessary adjustments.

This recipe Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese serves around 4 people. The nutritional values displayed are for one serving. The macros may differ slightly based on the ingredient brands utilized.

Prepare the Baked Pasta With Feta Cheese as directed, then weigh the entire final product to calculate the size of one serving.

4 times the total weight of the recipe (excluding the bowl, pot, or plate in which the food is served). The weight of one serving will be the result.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 644kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 663mg, Potassium: 687mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1449IU, Vitamin C: 55mg, Calcium: 322mg, Iron: 3mg, Net Carbs: 51g