Feta Pasta Recipe (with vegan option), baked

At a glance

What stands out: A block of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and olive oil are combined in this straightforward baked feta pasta recipe. Rich, and oh straightforward!

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large baking dish, oven, pasta pot
Servings: 4

Wondering about the pasta recipe with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes that went crazy viral on TikTok and other places? Here’s your chance to try it and find out why everyone’s so excited! You’ll love the straightforward combination of flavorful creamy feta, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, good olive oil, and fresh basil, served on your favorite pasta.

Straightforward Creamy Pasta

So straightforward to mix! The fun part of this recipe is that the feta and tomatoes are simply baked in a pan until they’re nice and soft. Mash it all together, sprinkle with basil and mix in your favorite cooked pasta. So straightforward and so rich!

Lots of tangy flavor. This TikTok recipe went viral not only because it’s fun to make, it tastes great, too. Roasted cherry tomatoes soften and caramelize; the block of feta melts into a rich, tangy sauce. Combined with olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, these simple ingredients are a feast for the taste buds.

What goes in

• Tomatoes: Choose cherry or grape tomatoes, which caramelize so well when roasted whole. Regular tomatoes may be too juicy and the skins can be tough. No tomato is completely off limits, though.
• Feta Cheese: You may be more accustomed to feta crumbles but, if possible, choose block feta. Full fat is best. Vegan feta cheese (such as Violife) is a good choice, too.
• Olive Oil: A high quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal as it’s a major component of the sauce.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds so much flavor to this straightforward pasta dish.
• Fresh Basil: What’s pasta without basil? Don’t have fresh? Substitute a teaspoon of dried basil, or try fresh oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning.
• Pasta: Choose your favorite pasta for this dish. We like to use a short pasta that has lots of ridges and crevices to catch all the cheesy sauce. Try a whole wheat pasta or a gluten-free pasta, like Banza.

How it comes together

Get ready. Start your oven preheating and find a nice big baking dish or non-reactive pan; 9 x 13-inches works well. Get the pasta cooking, rinse the tomatoes, unwrap the feta, and you’re ready to go.

Arrange in pan. Position the block of feta right in the center of the baking dish. Arrange the tomatoes around it, in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle on minced garlic, then drizzle olive oil over it all.

Bake. Put the pan in the oven and bake until the feta is soft and the tomatoes are browned and roasted. (The photo below depicts vegan feta. If you use a block of traditional feta, it might stay more formed, but it will still get soft and melty and should easily mix with the pasta.)

Combine. Mash the feta and tomatoes together, creating a sauce.

Add the pasta. Stir in the cooked pasta. Use some pasta water to thin the sauce if it seems too thick.

Serve. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Ways to change it

• Use crumbled feta instead. Can’t find a block of feta? Don’t despair, you can make this recipe with crumbled feta. Make a little pyramid of cheese in the center of the baking dish. Bake as directed. If feta isn’t your thing, we also love Boursin pasta, which is a similar recipe using flavored Boursin cheese.
• Add protein. Make this recipe with cooked shredded chicken; just stir it into the pasta. Cooked shrimp and salmon are great, too.
• Spice it up. Add crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.
• Roasted garlic option: Instead of mincing the garlic, roast whole cloves with the tomatoes and cheese. Mash into the sauce. A half teaspoon of garlic powder can be added for milder garlic flavor.
• Add balsamic. Drizzle in good-quality balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze for a new twist on this recipe!
• Looking for something different? Try our carrot pasta sauce. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and wonderful. We also love this fresh tomato cream sauce.

Keeping leftovers

Leftover pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You’ll find that the pasta gets quite a bit drier because it continues to absorb liquid. Add a little water or milk to loosen the sauce. Reheat in a pan on the stove until heated through, or in the microwave on high, 30 second intervals, stirring often.

Leftover Love

If you have a lot of feta pasta left over, stir in a little milk or water, add a handful of spinach, finely chopped kale, or lightly steamed chopped broccoli. Put everything into a greased casserole dish, top with sliced cherry tomatoes or shredded cheese, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve as a main course or as a side.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces block full-fat feta cheese (or a vegan feta cheese such as Violife)
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces pasta (or a gluten-free pasta such as Banza)
• 5 or 6 leaves fresh basil (thinly sliced)
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta, as directed on package. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Place the feta in the middle of a large baking dish or pan, and arrange the tomatoes around it in a single layer. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the feta and tomatoes, and drizzle the olive oil over the top.
3. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes are very soft and the feta is soft.
4. Remove the dish from the oven, mash the feta and tomatoes together, and stir to combine.
5. Transfer the pasta to the dish and gently stir to combine. If sauce is too thick, add pasta water gradually, stirring, until sauce is desired consistency.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and top with fresh basil to serve.

Notes

With roasted garlic: If you prefer, instead of mincing the garlic, add whole cloves to the pan to roast with the tomatoes, mashing them with the sauce. Or mix in ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for a milder garlic flavor.

Add protein: If you like, stir in cooked shredded chicken, shrimp, or salmon with the pasta. For a vegetarian main dish, stir in a can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained.