Description
A simple and delicious baked feta pasta recipe that combines creamy baked feta, blistered cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil, ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners and customizable with add-ins like spinach or chicken.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) block of feta cheese
- 2 cups (300g) cherry tomatoes
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz (340g) penne pasta
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (about 15g)
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Optional add-ins:
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1–2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- ¼ cup olives or capers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Mince the garlic cloves and rinse the cherry tomatoes. Set the block of feta on a plate to come to room temperature.
- In an oven-safe baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Nestle the block of feta in the middle of the tomatoes and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top.
- Bake the feta and tomatoes for 25 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and softened and the feta is warm and creamy with slightly golden edges.
- While baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of pasta water.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a spoon to mash the feta and tomatoes together into a creamy sauce. Add the cooked pasta directly to the dish and toss everything together. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Stir in the chopped fresh basil leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
[‘Let feta come to room temperature before baking for even cooking.’, ‘Save pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.’, ‘Add fresh basil at the end to keep flavor bright.’, ‘Go easy on salt initially as feta and pasta water contain salt.’, ‘Mash feta and tomatoes well to create a creamy sauce.’, ‘Customize with add-ins like spinach, chicken, olives, or capers.’, ‘Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or olive oil.’, ‘Does not freeze well due to texture changes in baked cheese.’]
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 370
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 14
Keywords: baked feta pasta, easy pasta recipe, viral pasta recipe, feta cheese pasta, cherry tomato pasta, fresh basil pasta, quick dinner, weeknight meal