Baked Feta Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Baked Feta Pasta
Creamy, tangy, and incredibly easy. This viral sensation uses roasted feta and tomatoes to create a rich sauce.
Nutrition (per serving)
If you have spent any time on the internet lately, you have likely seen this magic happen in a single baking dish. Originating in Finland as 'uunifetapasta,' this dish took the world by storm for one very good reason: it is effortlessly delicious. By roasting a whole block of feta cheese with a mountain of cherry tomatoes, you create a sauce that is luxuriously creamy, tangy, and sweet all at once without ever having to stand over a hot stove whisking a roux.
The beauty of this recipe lies in the transformation of simple ingredients. As the tomatoes roast, they burst and release their juices, which mingle with the high-quality olive oil and the softening feta to create a velvety emulsion. For the best results, I always recommend using a block of feta in brine rather than the pre-crumbled kind—it melts much smoother and gives you that iconic gooey texture that makes this dish so comforting.
Ingredients
- Cherry or grape tomatoes:20 oz
- Block of Feta cheese:8 oz
- Extra virgin olive oil:0.5 cup
- Dried pasta (Cavatappi or Penne):10 oz
- Garlic cloves, minced:3 pieces
- Red pepper flakes:0.25 tsp
- Fresh basil leaves, torn:0.25 cup
- Black pepper:0.5 tsp
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400°F.
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In a medium-sized oven-safe baking dish, place the cherry tomatoes and drizzle with most of the olive oil. Toss with a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes.
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Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the baking dish, nestling it among the tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the feta and crack some black pepper over everything.
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Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened and turned slightly golden on the edges.
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While the tomatoes and feta are roasting, cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about half a cup of pasta water before draining.
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Remove the baking dish from the oven. Immediately add the minced garlic (the residual heat will mellow its bite).
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Use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash the feta and tomatoes together until they form a creamy sauce.
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Add the cooked pasta and fresh basil to the baking dish. Toss well to coat, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs thinning. Serve warm.
Tips & Notes
- Use a high-quality Greek feta made from sheep's milk if possible; it has a higher fat content and melts significantly better than cow's milk varieties.
- Don't add too much salt to the tomatoes at the start, as feta cheese is naturally very salty.
- If you want a bit of extra color, turn the broiler on for the last 2-3 minutes of baking to brown the top of the cheese.
