I tried my hand at the viral TikTok Baked Feta Cheese Pasta Recipe, and thought I’d share how I did! Creamy, sweet, savory, and salty in every bite, you feta believe this baked feta pasta is delicious!
Like much of the world, I’ve recently gotten into TikTok food trends.
Okay, okay, okay…that’s an understatement. It’s more accurate to say, I’ve recently become completely obsessed with TikTok food trends.
And so, when I came across @cookingwithayeh’s Baked Feta Pasta TikTok – let’s just say I had to try it for myself.
I’m on a serious Greek Feta cheese kick these days (spinach and feta omelette is currently my go to lunch, or whipped feta on toast, and my Greek feta fries make an excellent indulgence).
So I am all too keen to try out new ways to use up the block of feta cheese (okay, blocks of feta) in my fridge.
Worth noting, I’m not sure if @cookingwithayeh is the original recipe creator. But to whoever invented this baked feta pasta? I’m calling genius!
This Baked Feta Pasta is Feta Than the Rest
What’s the big deal, you may be wondering? It’s a feta cheese pasta recipe.
One of the best things about this baked feta pasta is how easy it is. While it’s not quite a one pot meal, it’s pretty close. One dish for baking, plus a large pasta pot for cooking the noodles. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it involves minimal dishes, making this great choice for a weeknight dinner when you’re in a hurry.
However, it’s also delicious in ways that is hard to describe. Once cooked, the fresh whole cherry tomatoes explode in your mouth in a sweet, slightly tangy juicy explosion.
The baked block of feta cheese mingles with the leaky tomato juices to form a perfectly creamy and salty sauce for the savory pasta. Feta and tomatoes is such an awesome combo – it’s hard to beat (see also my black bean feta dip with corn and tomatoes!)
And the fresh basil tops it off with notes that achieve the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.
It’s an inspiration!
How to Make This Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
This baked feta pasta is perfectly creamy, sweet, savory, and salty in every bite. It takes roughly 10 minutes of prep time, and 25 minutes in the oven. The result is a delicious, easy pasta recipe that you feta believe!
Ingredients & Tools to Make This Baked Feta Pasta Dish
- 2 cups of uncooked pasta (your choice – I used shells)
- One block of feta cheese (equivalent to about 1 cup of feta cheese)
- 2 cups of fresh cherry tomatoes, washed
- 2 tbsp of fresh basil, washed and chopped
- 1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: dried oregano, 5 to 6 fresh garlic cloves, dried red pepper flakes
In terms of kitchen tools, you’ll need:
- A large baking dish, large enough to bake a block of feta cheese and 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, and deep enough that you can then add your cooked pasta in.
- A medium pasta pot and strainer for draining your cooked pasta.
- A large serving spoon for mixing the feta and tomato sauce once baked, and for serving the pasta.
- A cutting board and sharp knife for chopping the fresh basil.
Step by Step Instructions for Making Baked Feta Pasta
Place a block of feta cheese in a large oven-safe baking dish, and surround it with washed whole cherry tomatoes and half the chopped fresh basil (about 1 tablespoon).
You can also add in a few fresh cloves of garlic if you want, and sprinkle it with oregano, thyme, rosemary, or dried red pepper flakes, although I didn’t.
Generously drizzle the feta, tomatoes, and basil with high quality extra virgin olive oil. Season with freshly ground pepper.
Bake the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are well cooked and gently wilted. If you’re in a hurry, you can pierce the tomatoes with a fork, and they’ll cook a bit faster.
As the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil bake, cook your dried pasta according to package instructions. Drain away the pasta water and set the cooked pasta aside.
Once the feta, cherry tomato, basil bake is done, use a large serving spoon to mix the tomatoes and feta together. Break up the block of baked feta, and mix with the juices from the cooked cherry tomatoes to create a sauce.
Add in the cooked pasta and mix well.
Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil on top!
Voila – it’s a feta accompli (sorry – couldn’t resist).
Variations on this Baked Feta Pasta
Go for Garlic
If you want to add garlic, you can try two variations.
With the whole clove version, add 5 or 6 whole cloves to the baking dish of cherry tomatoes and feta to add a sweet roasted garlic flavor to your pasta recipe.
You can cook the garlic cloves with or without their skin on. If you cook them with the skin on, they’ll end up a bit softer, but you’ll need to pop them out of their skin once baked.
If you choose to cook with the skin off, make sure you have enough tomatoes and olive oil – their liquids, taken together, will ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
If you prefer the spicier flavor of fresh garlic, mince a few cloves and toss it in at the end, along with more fresh chopped basil.
Extra Seasoning
If you want some extra flavor, thyme, rosemary, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes work.
The original recipe calls for oregano in this dish, which is a natural partner to Feta since it’s so common in Greek cooking.
Add Some Mediterranean Flare
If you enjoy a Greek tapas spread of feta, olives and tomatoes, than why not toss some olives or capers in with the bake. Careful you don’t add to much, as the feta is salty to start with, and adding too many olives or capers may over salt the dish.
Add Extra Veggies
You could add eggplant chunks, zucchini slices, mushrooms, or peppers to the baking dish if you want some extra veggies in the dish.
Swap the Cheese
If you’re not keen on Feta or don’t have any, you could swap the cheese on this recipe, but note that not all cheeses will work. You want a creamy cheese, like Boursin, not a stringy cheese, like mozzarella.
Tips for Making This Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
Remember the BFF Rule: Best Feta Forever
When cooking with Feta, stick to the BFF rule. And that means using high quality feta from sheep’s milk or a sheep’s milk / goat milk blend. Aim for either 100% sheep’s milk, or a minimum of 70% sheep’s milk with the remaining 30% coming from goat’s milk.
I used a Canadian feta-style cheese for this dish. Since Feta is a protected name, anything made outside of Greece is technically not Feta – it’s Feta style.
Purchase your feta in a block, not as pre crumbled feta. This baked feta pasta recipe calls for a block of feta, but it’s also a good rule in general. By purchasing it in a block with a bit of brine, it will last longer than pre crumbled feta cheese. Add to that, the brine contributes to the flavor!
Season with Pepper, But Go Easy on the Salt
Feta is super salty to begin with, so you might want to go easy on the salt before baking, and then salt to taste after you’ve tried a bite.
While the original recipe on TikTok calls for salting the feta and cherry tomatoes before baking, I think this makes it too salty.
Final Thoughts About this Baked Feta Cheese Pasta
I hope you like my take on the baked feta pasta that’s taking TikTok by storm. If you like this recipe, please share it with the other cheese lovers in your life.
Feta Cheese Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
This baked Feta pasta recipe is inspired by the viral Feta Pasta TikTok . It's creamy, sweet, savory, and salty in every bite. You feta believe, this baked feta pasta is delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of uncooked pasta (your choice - I used shells)
- One block of Greek feta cheese (equivalent to about 1 cup of feta cheese)
- 2 cups of fresh cherry tomatoes, washed
- 2 tbsp of fresh basil, washed and chopped
- 1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp dried oregano, 5 to 6 fresh garlic cloves, and/or dried red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Place a block of feta cheese in a large oven-safe baking dish.
- Surround feta block with washed whole cherry tomatoes and half the chopped fresh basil (about 1 tablespoon). You can also add in a few fresh cloves of garlic if you want.
- Generously drizzle the feta, tomatoes, and basil with high quality extra virgin olive oil. If you want, you can also sprinkle with dried oregano or red pepper flakes. Season with freshly ground pepper.
- Bake the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are well cooked and gently wilted. If you're in a hurry, you can pierce the tomatoes with a fork, and they'll cook a bit faster.
- As the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil bake, cook your dried pasta according to package instructions. Drain away the pasta water and set the cooked pasta aside.
- Once the feta, cherry tomato, basil bake is done, use a large serving spoon to mix the tomatoes and feta together. Break up the block of baked feta, and mix with the juices from the cooked cherry tomatoes to create a sauce.
Add in the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil on top!
Notes
If you want to add garlic, add about 4 to 6 whole unpeeled cloves at the beginning, along with the Feta cheese block and the cherry tomatoes. Once baked, simply squish the cooked cloves out of the peel, and mash them up a bit to mix into the sauce.
Likewise, the original recipe calls for a sprinkle of oregano, which I didn't use when I made it. Sprinkle the tomatoes and feta with oregano before baking if you want, or mix up the spices you use to include red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, or dried parsley.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
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