This Viral Baked Feta Pasta that is oozing with the goodness of cherry tomatoes, garlic, and cheese is sure to become a hit at your dining table.
It is irresistibly cheesy, creamy, garlicky, and so full of tangy tomatoes. It makes an easy weeknight dinner that is fuss-free, super delicious and full of amazing flavors — soul food at its best!
Infusing oils or vinegars with exotic spices or fruits can elevate your dishes with unique aromas and flavors.
If you love a simple, hearty, and warming pasta which is light and satisfying at the same time, then this Baked Feta Pasta recipe is calling your name.
So, grab a block of feta cheese (before it vanishes from the stores) and make this popular baked feta pasta to enjoy with your family and friends.
On this page, you’ll get my version of TikTok’s famous Baked Feta Pasta recipe that has gone viral in the past few months. Everyone is trying it out, so I couldn’t resist making this Baked Feta Pasta.
After this recipe became viral, the feta cheese almost disappeared from the stores. No wonder everyone wanted to try a hand on this treading pasta recipe. So I also had to give it a try to see what all the rave is about.
I generally don’t fall for the viral stuff, but this was super cool to try. There are many reasons I gave it a try:
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This recipe sounded too indulging.
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I love tomato-based pasta.
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I love baked feta.
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I love pasta.
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I live in Europe, so I felt a connection with this recipe.
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I love simple and quick recipes.
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I love olive oil and this recipe calls for a lot of olive oil.
I was loving this vegetarian baked feta pasta because of its sound, and after scrolling through TikTok’s popular new viral recipe for baked feta pasta, I found this idea pretty simple and delicious for any pasta.
So I had to try it at least once, and after making it once, I knew that I would certainly be making it often.
What’s there not to love about this baked feta pasta? A baked slab of creamy feta cheese with burst open cherry tomatoes is meant to be super spectacular. Isn’t it?
Baking tomatoes with feta to make pasta sauce is certainly a genius idea. It has everything a good pasta needs, so it was perfect. No doubt this baked feta pasta is taking the internet by storm after this tortilla wrap hack viral recipe.
What is Baked Feta Pasta?
Baked Feta Pasta is an easy and quick recipe where feta is baked with seasoned tomatoes, garlic, chilies, and lots of olive oil. After baking you just smash everything in the pan itself, and it becomes an amazingly toothsome pasta sauce.
Then you simply toss this sauce with the pasta of your choice. Done!
Basically, you don’t need any pan cooking at all. Some ingredients are meant for each other, no matter how you throw them, they will always taste so phenomenal. Feta cheese and tomatoes are one of such pairs that can be considered as a marriage made in heaven. They always hit the spot.
This Baked Feta Pasta
✔ makes a quick and delicious weeknight dinner
✔ is made with some handful of ingredients
✔ can be made with any pasta of your choice
✔ can also be made with added vegetables and protein
✔ is bursting with juicy flesh of cherry tomatoes
✔ tastes amazing and can easily be customized
✔ is fuss-free, and ready in under 30 minutes
✔ Is vegetarian and can also be made vegan and gluten-free
How to make Baked Feta Pasta?
To make this Baked Feta Pasta, you simply toss the sauce ingredients and bake them in the oven until cheese is melted. And it’s the oven where all the magic happens.
Below are 4 simple steps to make this baked feta pasta:
Step 1:
Prep for the sauce by seasoning tomatoes and placing feta in a baking pan.
Step 2:
Bake the sauce ingredients.
Step 3:
Boil pasta according to the package instructions.
Step 4:
Smash the sauce ingredients, and toss the sauce with pasta. Done!
For a full list of Baked Feta Pasta recipe ingredients and step-by-step photo and video instructions, please see the recipe box on this page.
How to make gluten-free Baked Feta Pasta?
To make baked feta pasta gluten-free, choose any gluten-free pasta of your choice. And follow the same recipe, that’s it.
How to make vegan Baked Feta Pasta?
To make a vegan version of baked feta pasta, swap feta cheese with any brand’s vegan feta cheese.
Can I make Baked Feta Pasta without the block of Feta Cheese?
Don’t have blocked Feta cheese? Don’t worry, you can still make this treading pasta. If you don’t find a block of feta cheese then you can use the crumbled feta cheese. Simply press the cheese together to make into a clump and bake it as directed in the recipe.
It would come out great.
What are other cheese options for this Baked Feta Pasta recipe?
You can replace feta cheese with high-quality full-fat ricotta cheese, mozzarella, or goat cheese for making this pasta. Bake for less time, if using goat or ricotta/goat cheese, you will get the same creamy texture.
What is the best type of pasta to use in this Baked Feta Pasta recipe?
For this recipe, you can use any of the Italian pasta shapes you like. The original recipe calls for Italian durum wheat pasta, but I used gnocchi pasta.
Below are some pasta types that I’ve tried with this baked feta sauce:
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Penne
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Conchiglie Rigate
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Spaghetti
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Fusilli
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Macaroni
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Rigatoni
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Ziti
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Bow-Tie
How long does this Baked Feta Pasta stay fresh?
This is a simple pasta dish that stays fresh for up to 2 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
What are the ingredients used for making Baked Feta Pasta?
Baked feta pasta needs only a few ingredients, which are very simple to find at any grocery store worldwide.
Below are some notes on what are the ingredients you will need for making baked feta pasta:
Feta Cheese:
Feta cheese is the star ingredient of this recipe, so make sure you use the best tasting block Greek feta cheese and make this baked feta pasta.
Cherry Tomatoes:
The original recipe uses cherry tomatoes, but you can also use grape tomatoes for this pasta dish. Use the ripe tomatoes, because they burst open in the oven while baking.
Olive oil:
A generous amount of olive oil is drizzled over tomatoes and feta cheese for a rich taste. Virgin or extra virgin both will work here.
Garlic:
Garlic adds a pungent taste to the sauce. Chopped or raw garlic cloves are added along with the tomatoes.
Red chilies:
Fresh red chilies are used for the hotness in the sauce. You can also use red pepper flakes instead of red chilies.
Basil leaves:
A handful of fresh basil leaves are added to this pasta for a herby punch.
Seasoning:
The original recipe uses only salt and pepper. But I love the taste of dried oregano, so I added 1 teaspoon of dried oregano to this recipe. You can also use Italian seasoning.
Pasta:
Any type of pasta would work for this recipe, so feel free to use your favorite pasta or whichever is handy.
Love pasta? Then you would also like this Ratatouille Pasta.
Pro tips and variations to make the best tasting Baked Feta Pasta
Tip 1. This baked feta pasta or tomato feta pasta is made with basic tomato cheese sauce, but you can make it into a veggie pasta by adding vegetables such as, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach.
Tip 2. I sprinkle pasta with some grated parmesan cheese, but that step is completely optional. It adds a nice tang.
Tip 3. If you want a meaty version of this dish, then feel free to use your favorite meat or seafood for this pasta.
Tip 4. You can also add some beans like cooked chickpeas or cooked kidney beans.
Tip 5. I have added dried oregano in the seasoning. You can also add dried parsley, dried rosemary, or dried thyme.
Tip 6. I used red chilies which were not too spicy. If you want hot pasta, then also add some crushed red pepper flakes, they would surely increase the heat.
Tip 7. I have tossed chopped garlic with cherry tomatoes, but you can also roast the whole garlic bulb in the baking dish. After baking, you can easily remove the garlic peel and then smash it with other ingredients.
Tip 8. Feta cheese is generally salty, so make sure you don’t add too much salt in this dish, or else you will end up with a super salty pasta which won’t taste so good.
Tip 9: In the original recipe, 450 grams of pasta is used, but I used only 350 grams of pasta. Tomatoes add a fresh zing to the pasta, and this way I have less pasta and more tomatoes in this recipe.
Baked Feta Pasta Recipe (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to make Baked Feta Pasta:
- Preheat oven 200°C/400°C.
- Chop garlic cloves, red chili pepper, and basil leaves. Set them aside.
- Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Also add chopped red chilies, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Toss everything well.
- Now make some space in the center and place a block of feta cheese in the baking dish.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with black pepper and dried oregano.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melty and tomatoes have burst and are nice and juicy. Then turn the heat to 225°C/435°F and broil for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, when the tomatoes and feta are baking, add water and salt to a pan and stir well.
- Now add pasta and cook according to package instructions or until al dente.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain off excess liquid and rinse with cold water.
- After baking, remove the baking dish from the oven and smash the feta cheese and tomatoes using a fork until it turns into a creamy sauce.
- Now add cooked pasta to the same dish.
- Top with chopped basil leaves, and toss well until the pasta is evenly coated and everything is well combined. At this point, you can check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Transfer pasta to a serving dish.
- Top with some freshly grated parmesan, basil leaves, and red chili pepper. Enjoy warm or hot!
Recipe Card
Baked Feta Pasta Recipe [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 10 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Main | European | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 289 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Baked Feta Pasta:
- 350 grams of pasta (I used gnocchi, you can use any pasta of your choice)
- 1 block (200 grams or 7 oz) Feta cheese (I used Greek feta cheese)
- 6 tablespoon olive oil (I used Extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 red chili, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (optional)
- 500 grams cherry tomatoes
- 6-7 garlic cloves, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- A handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced
For Serving:
- Freshly grated parmesan (optional)
- Basil leaves and sliced red chili pepper (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to make Baked Feta Pasta:
- Preheat oven 200°C/400°C.
- Chop garlic cloves, red chili pepper, and basil leaves. Set them aside.
- Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Also add chopped red chilies, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Toss everything well.
- Now make some space in the center and place a block of feta cheese in the baking dish.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with black pepper and dried oregano.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melty and tomatoes have burst and are nice and juicy. Then turn the heat to 225°C/435°F and broil for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, when the tomatoes and feta are baking, add water and salt to a pan and stir well.
- Now add pasta and cook according to package instructions or until al dente.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain off excess liquid and rinse with cold water.
- After baking, remove the baking dish from the oven and smash the feta cheese and tomatoes using a fork until it turns into a creamy sauce.
- Now add cooked pasta to the same dish.
- Top with chopped basil leaves, and toss well until the pasta is evenly coated and everything is well combined. At this point, you can check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Transfer pasta to a serving dish.
- Top with some freshly grated parmesan, basil leaves, and red chili pepper. Enjoy warm or hot!
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- This pasta is made with basic tomato cheese sauce, but you can make it into a veggie pasta by adding vegetables such as, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach.
- I sprinkle pasta with some grated parmesan cheese, but that step is completely optional. It adds a nice tang.
- If you want a meaty version of this dish, then feel free to use your favorite meat or seafood for this pasta.
- You can also add some beans like cooked chickpeas or cooked kidney beans.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/baked-feta-pasta/
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