BAKED FETA PASTA

I think we can all agree that this year has been the year of the TikTok baked feta pasta, am I right? 🙂 I don’t even have a TikTok account (call me old-fashioned 😉 ) but I started hearing about this viral recipe a few months ago and decided to dig in and see what the fuss was all about. By this point there were tons of online videos featuring all different versions of the recipe, but I found the original TikTok video from Grilled Cheese Social, and then discovered that the original recipe (called uunifetapasta) was from Finnish blogger Liemessa. We absolutely love feta cheese and tomatoes, so it seemed like a no brainer that we had to give this a try. I am so glad that we did, because this baked feta pasta couldn’t be simpler, and is absolutely awesome!

BAKED FETA PASTA INGREDIENTS

1. Pasta: I prefer short pasta for this dish, but any type will do.
2. Feta cheese: How could you go wrong with an entire block of cheese? 🙂
3. Fresh tomatoes: When baked in the oven, the tomatoes will burst and release their juice to create a delicious sauce around the block of cheese.
4. Olive oil: This will ensure everything cooks nicely in the oven, while also adding great flavor to the sauce.
5. Garlic & Italian Seasoning: Two more simple pantry ingredients that add delicious flavor.
6. Reserved pasta water: When making a pasta dish with some sort of sauce, always save some of the cooking water from the pasta before draining it. The starch in it makes it a bit thicker than plain water, which helps sauces come together/thin out as needed (without getting too watery). This water is needed in this dish to loosen up the creamy sauce.
7. Fresh basil, kale/spinach, and sun dried tomatoes: The basil is so bright and adds a pop of flavor, while the kale (or spinach) and sun dried tomatoes are yummy additions to bulk up the dish just a bit.
8. Grated cheese (Pecorino Romano or Parmesan): Topping this dish with some cheese before serving makes it even better 🙂

HOW TO MAKE BAKED FETA PASTA

1. Cook tomatoes and feta: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the feta and tomatoes in a 9×13 pan. Pour olive oil evenly over everything. Top the feta with red pepper flakes. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tomatoes, and toss gently to combine. Bake for 35 minutes.
2. Cook pasta: While the tomatoes and feta are baking, bring salted water to a boil and add pasta; cook until al dente (while pasta is cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside).
3. Make the sauce: Remove baking dish from the oven and use a wooden spoon to gently smash any tomatoes that have not already burst. Gently mix the tomatoes and feta until a creamy sauce forms.
4. Start combining: Stir in the garlic, Italian Seasoning, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes until combined. Then stir in the pasta and kale (or spinach).
5. Adjust seasonings: Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Top & serve: Serve topped with Pecorino Romano cheese, and enjoy!

NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS

1. I’ve tested this with both fresh spinach and kale, and while both were great…we really loved the extra texture the kale provided. Spinach will work just as well, though (spinach is what’s pictured in the recipe photos in this post).
2. Feel free to add in any other veggies you may need to use up – just sauté them in a little olive oil while the feta and tomatoes are baking, and set them aside until later when you’re ready to combine everything.
3. You can bulk this dish up more by adding a cooked protein of your choice – chicken or shrimp would both be delicious! We prefer eating this sans meat, though, to get in a meatless meal and to keep prep work even easier!

You need to try this tasty and super easy dish for dinner! It couldn’t be simpler (or more flavorful!) from only a few ingredients. Let us know how you like it. 🙂

BAKED FETA PASTA

Recipe by Danielle

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounce block of Feta cheese

• 1 quart (2 pounds) cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• A few pinches crushed red pepper flakes (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)

• 8 ounces uncooked pasta

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

• 1 bunch curly kale (or, one 8-ounce bag fresh spinach), stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan), for serving

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the block of feta in the center of a 9×13 baking dish, and place the tomatoes around it. Drizzle the olive oil over everything, tossing the tomatoes to coat them evenly. Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes over the feta, and season the tomatoes with a few pinches of salt and black pepper.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35 minutes – when it’s finished, the feta will be very soft and the tomatoes will have burst and released a lot of their juice.
• While the feta and tomatoes are baking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until it’s al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. (Note: If using kale instead of spinach: also during this time, sauté the kale pieces in a little olive oil in a small pan until just slightly wilted – remove from heat and set aside).
• Remove the baking dish from the oven. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, and sun dried tomatoes, and stir until the feta is totally melted (it should look like a creamy sauce). Add the cooked pasta and fresh spinach, and gently stir to combine. Add in the reserved pasta water in small increments until the sauce is to a consistency of your liking. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Top with grated Pecorino Romano, and enjoy!

If you’re looking for other quick and easy pasta dishes, try our:

Creamy Bacon and Leek Pasta

Cacio e Pepe (Pasta with cheese and pepper)

Easy, Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta

Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? ♥️

Danielle