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Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

4.9 from 62 reviews

This Baked Feta Pasta is a delightful and creamy dish featuring blistered cherry tomatoes and a baked block of feta cheese combined with garlic and fresh basil, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. It’s a simple yet flavorful meal that comes together effortlessly and delivers a rich, tangy, and comforting experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Produce

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes (4 1/3 cups)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Dairy

  • 1 8-10 oz block feta cheese

Pantry

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 8 oz dried pasta (medium cut)
  • Boiling salted water (for cooking pasta)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425ºF to prepare for roasting the tomatoes and feta.
  2. Prepare Tomatoes: Place the cherry tomatoes into a large broil-safe 9×13 inch baking dish and pour the olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss the tomatoes to coat evenly with the oil and seasoning.
  3. Add Feta: Create a well in the center of the baking dish large enough for the block of feta cheese and place the block in the middle.
  4. Bake Tomatoes and Feta: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the cherry tomatoes blister and the feta cheese starts to brown.
  5. Cook Pasta: When there are 10 to 15 minutes left for the baking, bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  6. Drain Pasta: Drain the pasta in a colander and cover with a plate to keep warm.
  7. Broil for Finish: Once baking time is up, set the oven to broil. Using the same dish if broil-safe, broil the feta and tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly and blistered. Alternatively, if not broil-safe, you can bake at 450ºF for 5 to 10 more minutes.
  8. Add Garlic: Remove the dish carefully from the oven and add the minced garlic cloves.
  9. Create Sauce: Use the bottom of a wooden spoon to break up and combine the blistered tomatoes and soft feta cheese into a creamy, chunky sauce along with the garlic.
  10. Mix Basil: Stir in the chopped fresh basil leaves to the sauce evenly.
  11. Toss Pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and stir well until all the pasta is fully coated with the feta tomato sauce.
  12. Serve: Optionally garnish with additional fresh basil and serve immediately while warm.

Notes

  • If your baking dish is not broil-safe, skip the broiling step and increase oven temperature to 450ºF to finish baking for 5-10 minutes.
  • You can customize this recipe by adding red pepper flakes for heat or lemon zest for brightness.
  • Use good quality feta cheese for the best flavor profile and creaminess.
  • Medium cut pasta such as penne or rigatoni works best to hold the sauce.
  • Reserve some pasta water before draining to thin the sauce if desired.

Keywords: baked feta pasta, creamy pasta, cherry tomato pasta, vegetarian pasta recipe, easy baked pasta