Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
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.
- Author: Mila
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
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)
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425ºF to prepare for roasting the tomatoes and feta.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drain Pasta: Drain the pasta in a colander and cover with a plate to keep warm.
- 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.
- Add Garlic: Remove the dish carefully from the oven and add the minced garlic cloves.
- 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.
- Mix Basil: Stir in the chopped fresh basil leaves to the sauce evenly.
- 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.
- 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