This Baked Feta Pasta from TikTok is unbelievably good as the perfect sugar to acid balance of the tomatoes blends so well with the tangy, rich and slightly salty flavour of feta giving you a salty creamy pasta sauce. It is also very easy and no fuss to make.
So TikTok did it again… or maybe I should stay, TikTok continues to do it. It breaks cultural and of course geographical barriers (plus videos break language barriers too). This time it was this Baked Feta Pasta or the Tomato and Feta Pasta that took centerstage and have everyone checking it out, myself included. Maybe it is this pandemic as well because we have this need to focus on something. We need anything, to get our mind off our fears and anxieties. I am thankful for it as these sure are crazy times.
I can’t remember where I initially saw this, maybe in TikTok or maybe in my Google feed but that block (or rectangle) of white cheese amidst the sea of cherry red tomatoes was just pleasing to the eye. And thus grabs the attention right away. I still wasn’t interest in making it – it just was in the level of visual pleasure. Then I saw a friend in Facebook posting and raving about it so that piqued my attention.
In my next grocery run, I added to my list the Feta block cheese, Cherry Tomatoes and fresh Basil. (Yes, I still do a weekly or even a bi-weekly grocery run and I am putting it here for posterity. I sure hope and pray that in the near future, this nightmare will be a thing of the past).
How to make this Viral TikTok Recipe
This Baked Feta Pasta recipe is so easy to make that if you are serving it to guests. (Oh having guests, can you refresh my memory how it goes? Just kidding). We are still in kind of lockdown where I live. We are restricted to households only, meaning you can’t have guests! #nonexistentsociallife?
I digressed. I was saying it is so easy to make that you can just put everything together (for the sauce) and put in the oven. Boil the pasta and get dressed in preparation for the coming of the guests (or maybe just dinner with your family). Take it out of the oven, toss in the cooked pasta and voila – restaurant level dinner!
Tomatoes and Feta Pasta Ingredients
Tomatoes
I used Grape Tomatoes (because that is what is available in the grocery). You can use Cherry tomatoes as well or even other kinds of tomato. The grape (or cherry) tomatoes just look so good in the pan especially right before and after being in the oven. And of course looks great in pictures – the sea of red grape tomatoes and a white block of cheese in the middle, isn’t it what made you click this recipe? If using the bigger tomatoes, dice them so they get the good baking in the oven.
For this baked Feta pasta, I will suggest to use fresh ingredients for optimal flavour. But if you can’t run out to get yourself fresh tomatoes, canned diced ones will do. Still, I will suggest that the next time you had the chance, do it with fresh ingredients. This pasta, because of minimal ingredients has just this need to have the freshest!
Feta Cheese
I saw a Sheep and Goat Milk Feta and I felt, why not, instead of just the usual sheep milk Feta Cheese. Oh the creaminess of this feta is just unbelievable. The recipe calls for a block but you can use crumbled. The block cheese is usually just less processed plus if you want it to be social media worthy, then block it is.
EVOO or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta = EVOO = Pasta. That is my simple equation. I am concerned about the calories though so I tried to minimize by having only 1/3 cup. It is still oil after all even if it’s Extra Virgin or less processed. If you want a more oily pasta, use 1/2 cup or drizzle additional olive oil before you serve.
Fresh Basil
For some reason there was no Fresh Basil at the grocery when I did my run. Maybe everyone’s using Basil or doing pasta. So I had to go the next day to the wholesale club near us as I am sure they will have Basil (they cater to the restaurants so it will not be good to run out of Fresh Basil). It made me think that I must grow my own herb garden. I actually bought Thyme in case I decide that’s what I wanted instead of Basil (after the effort of finding it, LOL). You can try your favorite herb for this pasta and I am sure it will taste as heavenly. I think Oregano will be good as well :).
Garlic
I love garlic on pasta. Oh let me rephrase that – I love garlic on everything, I think. I used about 8 cloves in this recipe. I put in half while it was still in the oven as I wanted those to roast a bit. Then I added the other half when I took it out of the oven. I was even thinking I will sprinkle some roasted garlic on top but I was so excited to taste it that I forgot. I will do that next time. I still have another block of Feta in my fridge, yay!
Salt & Pepper
Of course to season. I used freshly ground Black Pepper and Sea Salt. The recipes I saw only had 1/4 tsp of each but I was thinking I like more pepper so I put 1/2 tsp instead. I ended up adding more on my plate still. I felt I could use more salt too but my hubby (who usually likes everything saltier than I do) surprised me when he disagreed. He said adding salt would upset the balance between the creaminess of the cheese and the sweet-sour tomato blend. Oh well, anyway you can always add salt and pepper on your plate so it will be for you to decide.
Pasta
I decided I like Farfalle or Bowtie/Butterfly pasta for this one. Thinking how the bits of Feta and burst tomato will cling to the wider surface area of the pasta and just sit there. I was right, take a look at this. Doesn’t it look irresistible? Now I want to get cooking again just looking at it.
Jazz it up
As I mentioned I might add roasted garlic (I always keep roasted garlic in my cupboard – I mentioned I love garlic, right). I saw some other people talking about adding Bacon or Mushrooms, etc. You can if you want too. For those who like ’em spicy, you can add Pepper flakes too. For me, it will be another recipe. I love this recipe as it is. Just the balance of flavour is immaculate and heavenly.
Easy Instructions
Just put them all together! I mean it. This baked Feta Pasta is that easy and fuss-free. All the flavourful magic happens inside the oven!
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then put together your sauce by putting the block of Feta Cheese and Cherry (or Grape) Tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish.
- Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Flip around the cheese a few times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning.
- Bake it in the oven for 35 minutes or until the Feta looks melted and the tomatoes have burst. (And yes, that is when the heavenly feeling… or at least smell fills up your kitchen. I told you it is magic!). Broil for about 2 minutes just to give that tomatoes a roasted overtone.
- While the sauce is in the oven, cook your pasta of choice as per package instructions.
- Add the garlic and mix around immediately so that the garlic softens or gets a bit cooked from the residual heat. Add some of the fresh Basil as well.
- Break down the melted Feta cheese a bit and give everything a toss – the feta-tomatoes combination becomes a creamy sauce at this time.
- Add the cooked pasta and give everything a stir to mix, ensuring that all the pasta gets coated by the sauce.
- Garnish with more fresh Basil. Serve warm.
Baked Feta Pasta Recipe – (Tomatoes and Feta Pasta)
Description
This Baked Feta Pasta from TikTok is unbelievably good as the perfect sugar to acid balance of the tomatoes blends so well with the tangy, rich and slightly salty flavour of feta giving you a salty creamy pasta sauce. It is also very easy and no fuss to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then put together your sauce by putting the block of Feta Cheese and Cherry (or Grape) Tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish.
Add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Flip around the Feta Cheese a few times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning.
Bake it in the oven for 35 minutes or until the Feta will look melted and the tomatoes have burst. Then broil for about 2 minutes just to give the tomatoes a roasted overtone.
While the sauce is in the oven, cook your pasta of choice as per package instructions.
Add the minced Garlic and mix around immediately so that the garlic softens or gets a bit cooked from the residual heat. Add some of the fresh Basil as well.
Break down the melted Feta cheese a bit and give everything a toss - the Feta-Tomatoes combination becomes a creamy sauce at this time.
Add cooked pasta and give everything a stir to mix, ensuring that all the pasta gets coated by the sauce.
Garnish with more fresh Basil. Serve warm.
Serving Size 300
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 313kcal
- Calories from Fat 138kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 16g25%
- Saturated Fat 6g30%
- Cholesterol 25mg9%
- Sodium 320mg14%
- Potassium 376mg11%
- Total Carbohydrate 34g12%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 10g20%
- Vitamin A 25 IU
- Vitamin C 25 mg
- Calcium 16 mg
- Iron 6 mg
- Vitamin E 10 IU
- Vitamin K 37 mcg
- Thiamin 8 mg
- Riboflavin 17 mg
- Niacin 8 mg
- Vitamin B6 13 mg
- Folate 9 mcg
- Vitamin B12 8 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid 5 mg
- Phosphorus 19 mg
- Magnesium 9 mmol
- Zinc 10 mcg
- Selenium 40 mg
- Copper 9 mg
- Manganese 25 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. source: https://nutritiondata.self.com
Notes
- Ingredients substitutions are discussed above.
- You can use 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil if you want more oil in your pasta. Or you can drizzle more right before serving.
