Baked Feta Pasta - Viral Tik Tok recipe

Baked Feta Pasta - Viral Tik Tok recipe

There's a reason this recipe is so popular! It's fast to put together, easy to make, full of great flavor and easy enough for week-nights. Lots of ways to change it up too!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
½ medium red onion sliced and quartered
8 ounce block feta cheese
2 pints cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves peeled and halved lengthwise
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Pound pasta regular or gluten-free

Instructions

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Drizzle 1/2 of the olive oil in the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.
Layer the red onions in the pan and place the feta cheese block in the center.
Add the tomatoes and garlic around the feta cheese in a single layer. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, coating everything evenly. Sprinkle with pepper and red pepper flakes.
Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the feta cheese in golden and the tomatoes are roasted and slightly caramelized.
While the feta cheese is baking, cook the pasta according to package directions.
Save ½ cup of the pasta cooking water for later.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir to break down the cheese and the tomatoes and combine everything together creating a thick cheese sauce.
Add the pasta and toss to evenly coat with the sauce. If wanting the sauce to be creamier add the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and toss in.
If adding a stir-in ingredient (e.g. sliced olives, chopped artichok hearts, sliced fresh basil) add it now.
Salt to taste if needed. If desired, top with the fresh cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, shaved parmesan, Kalamata olives, fresh basil or Italian parsley and/or a lemon wedge

Video

Notes

Stir in or Garnish options

This recipe is incredibly flexible. Stir in other Mediterranean ingredients for a whole different flavor:

1/2 cup pitted, sliced Kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped Artichoke hearts
Fresh basil, sliced (if stirring in) or chopped as garnish
Torn Italian parsley (garnish)
1/3 cup chopped Roasted Red Peppers
Black garlic

Variations

Use goat cheese, ricotta cheese or cream cheese.
Use different seasonings: Italian seasoning, dried rosemary, dried thyme.
Use different shapes of pasta: penne, fusilli, small shells, elbow, spirals, bow tie.

Amount of pasta and sauce

This photos in the blog post show the 1 pound of pasta coated with the sauce. Though the sauce is not thick it's bold with flavor.

If you prefer more sauce and less pasta, use 12 ounces of pasta.

If using gluten-free pasta we recommend Tinkyada brand both for flavor and structure.

How to Make a Half Batch

I receive requests for smaller portion recipes and this one is easy to halve.

Follow the recipe as written in the recipe card below but....

use half the feta cheese
half the tomatoes
half the onions
Reduce the olive oil to 1/4 cup
Monitor while baking until the feta is golden and soft (probably around 25 minutes)

Nutrition