Creamy baked feta pasta has baked creamy feta cheese block along with bursting cherry tomatoes. When stirred with pasta it’s insanely delicious. Get it done in less than 30 minutes.
If you are in the mood for something a little bit more elaborate try baked tortellini casserole, it has spicy Italian sausage meat sauce, very cozy, comforting meal fit for the family!
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Why Should You Try Baked Feta Pasta?
1. You’ll need a handful of ingredients and it gets done in less than 30 minutes.
2. Customize it to add any ingredients for your feta pasta.
3. The dish is pretty much hands-off.
4. The flavor combination of salty savory feta cheese bursting cherry tomatoes is to die for!
5. It’s a viral food trend on TikTok for a reason! So easy to make and so much fun too! Try it now!
Ingredients
Handful of ingredients to make this insanely salty, savory baked feta pasta-
- 8 oz feta cheese block
- 16 oz cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt (note – you may not need salt at all, taste first and then add salt if needed)
- Freshly ground pepper – to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 small garlic head
- 8 oz dried pasta (any type of pasta will work)
- Handful baby spinach
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Feta Cheese – you’ll need block of feta cheese. Won’t recommend you to use crumbled or block feta here.
- Cherry tomatoes – or use grape tomatoes. If using large tomatoes, cut them into wedges and use.
- Pasta – use your favorite pasta.
- Extra virgin olive oil – use good quality EVOO. EVOO and tomato combination works best. You can also use avocado oil in case you want a substitute.
- Seasoning – I love well-seasoned pasta. And if you know me, I’m all in for flavors. To pack in as much flavors into the pasta I use one small garlic head, freshly ground pepper, red chili flakes, fresh basil and Parmesan. Parmesan adds that umami savory flavor to the dish.
- Spinach – baby spinach or kale will work.
Ingredients Additions and Substitutions
Additions –
- Feel free to add vegetables like diced onion, sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus or olives to the pasta dish.
- Add protein to your pasta. Chicken, sausage, shrimp, salmon works best.
- A good drizzle of honey on top of feta brings out great taste. Sweetness of honey balances the saltiness of feta cheese block, it’s delicious.
- A glug of white wine poured into the baking dish before baking feta and tomatoes adds is wonderful.
Substitutions –
- Substitute regular pasta with chickpea pasta for gluten-free healthy options.
- Zoodles or Spaghetti squash can also be used in place of dried pasta to make low carb healthy meal.
- Baby spinach can be replaced with kale if you are a fan.
- If you don’t like feta, swap it with ricotta cheese block.
- Fresh basil can be substituted with fresh oregano leaves.
How to make baked feta pasta
Prep For Baking:
- Pre heat oven at 400ºF/200ºC. Place feta cheese block on a baking dish (large enough to stir in pasta too after its baked).
- Add cherry tomatoes around feta cheese block.
- Trim off the ends small garlic head so the cloves inside is exposed slightly. Place the garlic head on the tray. Note: you can use minced garlic or peeled whole garlic cloves instead of using garlic head.
- Alternatively wrap garlic head in aluminum foil and place it on tray.
- Sprinkle freshly ground pepper and salt (I would advice to add salt in the end if needed as feta cheese is salty and if you add parmesan cheese the dish will not need any extra salt. So taste test and add salt).
- Drizzle about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil on feta cheese block and tomatoes.
- Add red chili flakes.
- Gently stir the tomatoes so it’s evenly coated in olive oil and seasoning.
Bake The Feta:
- Let tomato and feta bake at 400ºF/200ºC for about 20 to 25 minutes or until cherry tomatoes have burst and is nice and juicy.
Cook Pasta:
- While tomatoes and feta bakes cook pasta in well salted boiling water till it’s just slightly shy of al-dente.
- Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water.
Assemble Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta:
- Remove baked tomato and feta cheese from oven.
- Using a fork or a tooth pick prick the garlic cloves in the middle and pull out, each individual roasted cloves will come out of the head without much effort. Handle garlic carefully, it’ll be very hot. Remove all the cloves and add it back to the baking dish. Discard the peel.
- Using a spatula or fork gently bread feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and garlic to cream it.
- Stir it all together to make it a creamy sauce consistency.
- Add cooked pasta, baby spinach and fresh basil leaves to the baking dish.
- Note: You can use the baking dish in which feta and tomatoes were baked to stir everything together or use a large empty pot to combine everything!
- Combine everything while feta cheese is still hot.
- If pasta is too dry, use some of the pasta cooked water to thin down the sauce.
- Taste and add salt if needed and pepper if you need extra as per taste.
Serve:
Serve baked feta pasta immediately with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Expect tips
- Use good quality feta cheese block and good quality EVOO. Taste of the dish depends on the quality of ingredients.
- Swap in regular pasta with zoodles, roasted spaghetti squash or chickpea pasta to make it healthy.
- You can add protein like chicken, sausage, salmon, shrimp to your pasta dish.
- Feel free to cook and add extra veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli. Note if adding veggies, saute it separately in a pan with little olive oil and then stir it to the pasta dish.
- Not sure of adding whole garlic head? Use minced garlic or garlic cloves instead.
FAQS
I haven’t tried with other cheese. My guess is you can use cheese that softens and turns saucy texture when baked. If you don’t have feta to use, try using mascarpone cheese or a mixture of ricotta and goat cheese.
Please note, no matter what other cheese you use, it won’t taste exactly the same like feta cheese.
If you can source vegan feta cheese block like the brand violife you can follow the same recipe and make it vegan. Skip parmesan to make it vegan.
Yes, you can use any gluten free pasta like chickpea pasta. Or use zucchini noodles, butternut squash noodles or spaghetti squash noodles to make it gluten free and healthy.
Choose a dish that is just big enough to stir everything together (including pasta). Round baking dish, oval baking dish or rectangular baking dish all will work.
If you do not have a baking dish big enough to stir everything use a dish that can fit in feta cheese block and cherry tomatoes. Once baked use another pot to stir pasta and baked feta and cherry tomato together.
If you have any leftovers transfer to an air tighter container and store refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat pasta in microwave or stove top with little pasta cooking water or plain water until warmed through.
MORE PASTA RECIPES
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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Baked Feta Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz feta cheese block
- 16 oz cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt note – you may not need salt at all, taste first and then add salt if needed
- Freshly ground pepper – to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 small garlic head
- 8 oz dried pasta any type of pasta will work
- Handful baby spinach
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Pre heat oven at 400ºF/200ºC.
- Place feta cheese block on a baking dish (large enough to stir in pasta too after its baked).
- Add cherry tomatoes around feta cheese block.
- Trim off the ends small garlic head so the cloves inside is exposed slightly. Place the garlic head on the tray. Note: you can use minced garlic or peeled whole garlic cloves instead of using garlic head.
- Alternatively wrap garlic head in aluminum foil and place it on tray.
- Sprinkle freshly ground pepper and salt (I would advice to add salt in the end if needed as feta cheese is salty and if you add parmesan cheese the dish will not need any extra salt. So taste test and add salt).
- Drizzle about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil on feta cheese block and tomatoes.
- Add red chili flakes.
- Gently stir the tomatoes so it’s evenly coated in olive oil and seasoning.
- Let tomato and feta bake at 400ºF/200ºC for about 20 to 25 minutes or until cherry tomatoes have burst and is nice and juicy.
- While tomatoes and feta bakes cook pasta in well salted boiling water till it’s just slightly shy of al-dente.
- Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water.
- Remove baked tomato and feta cheese from oven.
- Using a fork or a tooth pick prick the garlic cloves in the middle and pull out, each individual roasted cloves will come out of the head without much effort. Handle garlic carefully, it’ll be very hot. Remove all the cloves and add it back to the baking dish. Discard the peel.
- Using a spatula or fork gently bread feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and garlic to cream it.
- Stir it all together to make it a creamy sauce consistency.
- Add cooked pasta, baby spinach and fresh basil leaves to the baking dish.
- Note: You can use the baking dish in which feta and tomatoes were baked to stir everything together or use a large empty pot to combine everything!
- Combine everything while feta cheese is still hot.
- If pasta is too dry, use some of the pasta cooked water to thin down the sauce.
- Taste and add salt if needed and pepper if you need extra as per taste.
- Serve baked feta pasta immediately with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- Use good quality feta cheese block and good quality EVOO. Taste of the dish depends on the quality of ingredients.
- Swap in regular pasta with zoodles, roasted spaghetti squash or chickpea pasta to make it healthy.
- You can add protein like chicken, sausage, salmon, shrimp to your pasta dish.
- Feel free to cook and add extra veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli. Note if adding veggies, saute it separately in a pan with little olive oil and then stir it to the pasta dish.
- Not sure of adding whole garlic head? Use minced garlic or garlic cloves instead.
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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