Baked Feta Pasta

The ever-so-popular TikTok Baked Feta Pasta! It’s a hearty dish made with roasted cherry tomatoes, creamy and lightly tangy baked feta, al dente pasta, and fresh herbs. It’s one of the easiest and tastiest pasta recipes!

Viral TikTok Baked Feta Pasta

I’m way behind on this one but my brother has kept telling me how amazingly delicious baked feta pasta was and now finally, I’ve gotten around to making it. I don’t really do trendy (and don’t even have a TikTok account) but this is a trend I’ll totally get behind!

I never should have waited so long to try it. Like just about everyone else I’m obsessed! And luckily now that things have calmed down with its popularity a little you shouldn’t have to deal with any feta shortages.

The Short History of Baked Feta Pasta

A version of feta pasta was originally shared by Finnish blogger Tiiu Piret on her blog in 2018, then it went viral a year later when Jenni Hayrinen shared her simplified version of “uunifetapasta” (Finnish for ‘oven-baked feta pasta’) on Tiktok (and her blog).

This version of mine shares the same idea with a few additions I love – like a fair amount of roasted garlic, fresh spinach, and extra herbs. I also like medium-bite-size pasta here.

It’s amazing how something so simple can taste so supremely delicious. After just one taste you’ll be hooked!

Watch the Video!

TikTok Baked Feta Pasta Recipe Ingredients

• 2 pints (20 oz) grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 7 oz. block of feta cheese (sheep’s milk variety), drained
• 10 oz. dry pasta (bite size)
• 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 8 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

 

How to Make Baked Feta Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add feta, tomatoes, and oil to the baking dish: Add grape tomatoes, and garlic to a 3 quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Place feta in the center of tomatoes and turn rather than stir to coat with oil.
3. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4. Then remove the baking dish, and raise the oven rack up to the upper 1/3 of the oven. Return baking dish to oven and increase oven to 450 degrees. Bake until tomatoes and cheese are starting to brown slightly, about 10 minutes longer.
5. Cook pasta: Meanwhile, boil pasta to al dente in salted water (I use 1 Tbsp salt and about 3 or 4 quarts of water), according to the instructions listed on the pasta package.
6. Save some pasta water, cook spinach: Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and right before draining pour and submerge spinach in with the pasta (it should wilt almost instantly). Drain pasta and spinach.
7. Mix feta mixture: Smash the tomatoes, garlic, oil, and feta together with the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Add pasta and herbs: Toss pasta in with the mixture along with basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
9. Thin and season: Thin the mixture with a drizzle of tablespoons of pasta water at a time to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Variations

• Use the pasta you have. Campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi are great options.
• Add a protein. You can mix in some cooked meat at the end – chicken, ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey would be good options.
• Try another veggie in place of spinach. Good options would be asparagus, broccoli, frozen artichoke hearts, or zucchini (just keep in mind cooking time will vary).
• If you are trying to reduce the carbs try with with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
• Feta is the base of this dish, but you could try it with cream cheese or goat cheese.

Helpful TikTok Pasta Tips

• Personally, my favorite feta to use here is Murray’s brand if you can find it. It’s pricey (I buy it at $10 a block) but worth it. It has great flavor and melts more smoothly. There are Greek feta and French feta varieties, so find what you like.
• Do not use crumbled feta! Block feta is the only way to go in this recipe. You don’t want any of that powdery coating and the whole block will hold up far better to roasting.
• Also, avoid low-fat feta which won’t melt as well or taste quite as good.
• Don’t be skimpy with the olive oil. We want a rich sauce and no dry pasta so this is key.
• Be generous with the tomatoes. They bring a lot of fresh flavor here and a light sweetness to balance the tang. Use 2 boxes not just 1.
• Cook the pasta just to al dente for the best texture. When tossed with the warm sauce it will soak it up and soften a tad more.
• Try to time the pasta to finish around the same time as feta and tomatoes will be done in the oven. This is so the pasta is added warm and also so it doesn’t just sit and stick together.

Storing Leftovers

In my opinion, this pasta is best served the day it’s made if you are picky about the texture, just because the pasta will soften as it sits (as with just any pasta coated in sauce). But the taste is still great so I do safe leftovers if we have them.

Refrigerating: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: It can be frozen for up to 2 months.

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

• Baked Ziti
• Greek Pasta Salad
• One Pot Pasta (with Tomatoes and Basil)
• Pasta Primavera
• Penne Alla Vodka
• Spaghetti with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

 

Recipe adapted from Liemessa