Baked feta pasta with roasted grape tomatoes is amazingly tasty and so simple to make. This is the viral Tik-Tok video original. After discovering this hack, I had to give it a try. According to Mary Jo, it’s a keeper.
While scouring Google the other day, I was searching for viral food photos. As a food blogger you’d like for a couple of your recipes to take off and go viral…maybe on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook. Well, I kept seeing references to this Tik-Tok video that has over a million views. It’s a simple feta pasta dish that I had to try to see what the hype was about.
Ingredients in Feta Pasta with Tomatoes
What’s crazy about this recipe is how simple it is to make and the minimal ingredients that are used.
- Pasta, any small-sized, (not long pasta)
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Feta cheese, block not crumbled
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
- Herbs, if desired
The only prep you need to do is mince some garlic and chop some basil. Nothing else needs to be done except assembling and baking. Even the tomatoes are kept whole.
Step By Step
Start out with a 9″ by 13″ casserole dish. Place the block of feta cheese in the middle then surround it with a single layer of cherry or grape tomatoes.
Next, pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and then toss them a bit to coat with oil. Don’t forget to put a bit of oil on the cheese too. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire dish and add whatever herbs you desire, or just omit them.
I added a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning. Adding some dried oregano or thyme would be nice too. For some spicy notes, add some red pepper flakes.
Place the casserole into a pre-heated 400° oven and set your timer to 35 minutes. After 35 minutes check to see if the tomatoes and cheese are starting to brown a little bit and the tomatoes have burst open. If so, remove it from the oven.
Leave the casserole in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes if it looks like it needs a little more time. You could also boost the temperature up to 450° for the final minutes. Ovens always heat differently and my casserole was done in 35 minutes.
While the feta and tomatoes bake, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and reserve a half cup of pasta water in case the dish needs to be thinned slightly.
Once the casserole dish is out of the oven, add the garlic and chopped basil and use a spoon to break up the feta, and start tossing to combine. Then add the pasta and keep mixing until the ingredients are incorporated. Sprinkle with more chopped basil and serve warm.
Honest Opinion, Would I Make This Again?
There are lots of food bloggers who have adapted recipe variations of this dish and have come to the conclusion that “Heck yes, this is dang good.” And that’s my opinion too.
There are also some ingredients that could be added to the recipe too. Like red pepper flakes, or wilted spinach. Maybe even a dab of butter to add to the creaminess of the sauce. I didn’t add any pasta water when stirring this together, but next time maybe a quarter cup to mix with the cheese. And there will be a next time because this is tasty and so easy to make.
If you liked this recipe, here are a few more tasty recipes to try:
Ingredients
- 28 to 32 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes, (2 pints)
- 8 oz. feta cheese in block form
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 8 oz. small-sized pasta, like penne, rigatoni, cappelletti,
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 to 2 tsp. Italian seasoning or other herbs as desired
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°.
- Use an oven-safe large casserole dish like a 9" by 13" size and place the block of feta cheese in the middle. Add the grape tomatoes to surround the feta. Then pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and a bit over the cheese. Toss the tomatoes by hand to evenly coat with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other herb desired for flavor.
- Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes so that the tomatoes and cheese start to brown slightly. Leave in the oven for 5 or 10 more minutes if they haven't browned.
- While the casserole is baking, cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the cooking pot and cover to keep warm.
- Once the feta and tomatoes are slightly browned, remove them from the oven and add the minced garlic and chopped basil. Use a spoon to break up the feta cheese and stir and toss to combine the ingredients. Then add the pasta and keep tossing until everything is mixed together. Add a bit of the pasta water to make a creamy sauce from the feta and tomatoes.
- Garnish with more chopped basil and serve warm.
Notes
- This recipe is very versatile and different herbs can be added for flavor. A little experimenting is encouraged. Additional pepper or red pepper flakes would spark it up a bit. Chopped onion or shallots mixed with the tomatoes could add some flavor. For more garlic flavor, perhaps add some granulated garlic.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave, adding a little water to loosen it up and make it creamy.
Mary Jo would be correct. This is a keeper!!! It’s so easy and soooooooo yummy. Thanks for another awesome recipe Joe.
This recipe is so delicious and simple it’s crazy! The pasta is covered with the sauce that you just stir together right in the dish after baking and it’s all cream-tangyy from the feta cheese and juicy-tomatoey from the tomatoes that break open all by themselves in the oven. Really, you should try this!