Baked Feta Pasta

Baked Feta Pasta mains Roasted tomatoes and herbs with melted feta create a creamy sauce for this viral pasta dish baked pasta Baked Feta Pasta tomatoes, pasta

With a couple of pints of tomatoes, garlic, herbs, olive oil, feta cheese & pasta, you can make this easy baked feta pasta for a delicious pasta dish perfect for weeknight dinner or as a side. The tomatoes burst while roasting releasing their natural sweet juices, when stirred into the melty block of feta creating a luscious sweet tangy herby creamy sauce perfect for swirling your pasta through. We like to add pesto to ours for a real burst of summer flavor, but that is optional. The dish bakes for a while but other than a quick toss before going in the oven and a vigorous stir after it is baked, it is __pretty hands off and super easy to make. This burst cherry tomato sauce is meant to be chunky because of the tomato skin and flavourful aromatics - but feel free to blend the sauce for a smoother finish.

Baked Feta Pasta

Now I usually don’t go all Greek on anybody but I will say that baking feta until creamy is not a new thing despite what tiktok or the internet says. We have been baking feta for a very long time - and always knew its potential for being viral! I think I’m a few years late to the actual trend but I thought this viral recipe still deserved a place on the blog as this recipe truly is delicious and easy to make and the perfect recipe to make when you have loads of cherry tomatoes either from the garden, market or grocery store and especially when the feta is on sale! If you love baked feta you should also try our bouyioudi recipe.

Baked Feta Pasta

Baked Feta Pasta Recipe Ingredients

  • FETA CHEESE: A staple ingredient in this baked feta recipe. Greek, Bulgarian and French feta made from sheep milk or a blend of sheep’s and cow milk will give you the creamiest results. Avoid using cow-milk feta as it tends to be drier and won’t blend into a sauce as well. If that is your only option though it is ok to use it just won’t be as creamy. Try to get a large rectangular block of it instead of in pieces if possible but a few larger chunks of feta (equalling the full 7 -8 ounces) put together in the middle of the baking dish is fine too.
  • CHERRY TOMATOES: Cherry tomatoes work best here. I prefer them over grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes have a tough skin and they are not as sweet. The cherry tomatoes are sweeter and have thin skin and juicier making them perfecter for this recipe.
  • SHALLOTS: We like to add shallots to the recipe. 2 small to medium ones or 1 large one - they add a nice sweetness to the sauce
  • GARLIC: 4 cloves of garlic is what we use but feel free to do more or less to taste
  • HERBS & SPICES: For spices we keep things simple and apart from salt and black pepper, we add oregano and red pepper flakes - you can swap out the oregano for more of a blend of herbs like Italian seasoning blend. We use 1 tsp of the oregano but for and extra herby pasta you can use up to 1 tbsp
  • OLIVE OIL: Extra virgin olive oil is recommended for a rich sauce. Do not skimp on it.
  • PASTA: We use shorter pasta like rigatoni, cavatappi, farfalle or bow tie, penne or rotini pasta. You will need approximately 14 oz of dried pasta. If you use less you will have more sauce if you use more you will have less sauce or more diluted sauce.
  • PASTA WATER: This is SOOOO key in this recipe. You will need the pasta water to help create a smooth, velvety sauce that clings to every noodle by acting as an emulsifier and thickener. You will need 1 cup pasta water.
  • PESTO: This is an optional addition in but we love it! We use 2 tablespoons of pesto either store-bought or homemade. If using a store-bought jarred pesto make sure it is one you love the flavor of as it will be pronounced in the pasta. We have a suggested homemade pesto recipe in notes below of you wanted to make our homemade pesto.
  • OPTIONAL ADD INS: Feel free to stir in other things into the sauce, like Italian bomba, harissa sauce, red pesto / minced sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers, or even some greens (chopped baby spinach) or cooked veggies. You can even roast other veggies like some diced peppers, or even some zucchini along with the tomatoes. We often stir in some diced or sliced roasted or grilled chicken or shrimp or even some chickpeas for extra protein when we add the pasta.

Baked Feta Pasta

How To Make Baked Feta Pasta

  1. Toss Tomatoes with Seasoning: In a 13x9 baking dish or large shallow dutch oven toss tomatoes, shallots, garlic with olive oil, herbs and spices.
  2. Nestle Cheese Into Middle: Nestle the block of feta cheese into the middle of the baking dish or pan, drizzle with a little extra olive oil
  3. Bake: Transfer pan to preheated oven and roast/bake uncovered until tomatoes have burst and cheese is melty and browned in spots.
  4. Cook Pasta: When you have about 15 minutes left of baking time, cook pasta according to box instructions to al dente and make sure to RESERVE PASTA WATER before you drain pasta. Drain pasta when you have done that and set aside. You want pasta and pasta water to be nice and hot when the dish comes out of the oven.
  5. Create Sauce: Carefully remove hot baking dish from oven and use gloves to hold one side of it to keep it steady. Use a fork or a wooden spoon or spatula to mash the feta with the burst tomatoes and their juices stirring it well helping the melted feta turn into a sauce.
  6. Add Pasta & Pesto: Add hot pasta to dish along with the pesto and ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Really give everything a good stir to combine and create a creamy emulsified sauce. Add more pasta water as needed.
  7. Serve: Serve hot and immediately while pasta sauce is nice and creamy!

Baked Feta Pasta

How To Store & Reheat Baked Feta Pasta

  • STORAGE: Store leftover baked feta pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
  • REHEATING: Add a splash of water, broth, or a little olive oil when reheating leftovers to loosen the thick sauce. Warm it on the stovetop for best results over medium-low heat while stirring, or use the microwave in short 30-to-60-second bursts, stirring halfway through.

Baked Feta Pasta

More Simple Pasta Recipes You Will Love

Recipe

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes (approximately 4-5 cups)
  • 2 small shallots, halved then sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 (7-8 oz) block Greek feta cheese in brine, drained
  • 14 oz uncooked short pasta (we used mezzi rigatoni)
  • 2 tablespoons Pesto (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Toss together tomatoes, shallots, garlic, oregano, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and olive oil in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish or a large shallow dutch oven.
  3. Nestle feta in center of baking dish, and drizzle feta with a little extra olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  4. Transfer pan to preheated oven and bake until tomatoes are blistered and have burst, sauce is bubbling, and cheese is melty and slightly browned, about 35 -45 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, during the last 15 minutes of baking time cook your pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions, to al dente. RESERVE 1 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta, and set aside.
  6. Carefully remove hot baking dish from oven. Use a fork or wooden spoon to mash and stir feta with tomatoes and their juices vigorously, creating a sauce.
  7. Stir in pasta and pesto along with ½ cup of reserved pasta water until well combined. Add more of the reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
  8. Garnish with fresh basil and additional black pepper, and chili flakes. Serve immediately while pasta is hot.

Recipe Notes

  • Make sure to reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. Stirring in the starchy pasta water helps emulsify the olive oil, juices, and softened cheese into a smoother coating for your noodles
  • When you mash the baked feta with roasted tomatoes and starchy pasta water, it forms a rich sauce, but small soft bits of cheese throughout the dish are expected unless it is blended smooth in a blender. That is an option if you prefer. Once everything is out of the oven you can transfer all the roasted tomatoes, shallots garlic and melty feta along with the pan juices and ½ cup of pasta water to a high speed blender and blend until nice and smooth - return sauce to baking dish and toss with the pasta and pesto until combined, stirring in more pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
  • Always bake a whole block feta (see blog post about more details) instead of pre-crumbled cheese, which contains anti-caking powders that prevent smooth melting cheese.
  • Work quickly (and carefully cause pan is very hot) after removing pan from oven as you need everything to be hot to create the sauce while the cheese is melted otherwise it will start to set as it cools.

Baked Feta Pasta