Baked Feta Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes

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Baked Feta Pasta is a super easy to make weeknight meal with just a handful of ingredients that combine to make a cheesy tomato sauce that is delicious over top of any shape pasta.

A bowl of spaghetti combined with tomatoes and feta with a fork sticking out of it.

A few months ago Baked Feta Pasta hit the TikTok world.   Everywhere I looked someone was making this recipe.   I really couldn’t figure out why it was so popular but after seeing it for a month I finally broke down and made it myself.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is mostly hands off and it only requires a few ingredients so you can put it in the oven and forget about it.  That’s important to me during the week so that I can spend more time with my son.

Ingredients:

  • cherry tomatoes
  • feta cheese
  • olive oil
  • garlic
  • herbs (oregano, basil, etc.)
  • pasta
  • salt and pepper

To make the pasta combine the tomatoes, olive olive, garlic, salt, and pepper in a baking dish.  Make sure that the tomatoes are touching.   You don’t want too much space in your pan.

Place the block of feta cheese in the center of your baking dish.  Scoot the tomatoes out of the way and stick it in there.   Turn it to coat the block of cheese with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Pin Image: A bowl of spaghetti mixed with pieces of cherry tomatoes and feta in it, text, a baking dish filled with cherry tomatoes and a block of feta in the middle.

Bake the dish for 30-40 minutes.  Meanwhile, begin to make your pasta.   Drain the pasta but make sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water.

Once the tomatoes have begun to burst remove the pan from the oven and use a wooden spoon, potato masher, or fork to make all of the cherry tomatoes pop.   Mix to combine with the cheese and tomatoes.   Add enough pasta water to make a thick sauce.

Add in the pasta and toss to coat.   Serve with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Pro Tips and Substitutions:

  • Use fresh tomatoes.   I had a thought about using canned but they simply won’t work in place of fresh tomatoes in this dish.  
  • Use the amount of olive oil in the recipe.   It is a lot but if you don’t your pasta will be dry.
  • Save the pasta water.   You’ll need to add some pasta water to the sauce in order to help it coat the pasta.
  • Crowd the dish with the tomatoes.   You want them to be on top of each other so that when they cook they get saucy.

A bowl of spaghetti mixed with pieces of cherry tomatoes and feta in it.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you make this with crumbled feta?

Yes, you can make this dish with crumbled feta but it won’t be as gooey as if you use the block of feta cheese.

Can you use another type of cheese?

The only other type of cheese that would work in place of the feta would be goat cheese.   It has the similar tang and consistency so it would result in a similar type of sauce.

Can you use canned tomatoes?

While you could use canned tomatoes, please do not.  You will lose a ton of flavor using canned tomatoes and the cooking times will be different and the consistency of the sauce will be different.

What type of pasta can I use?

You can use any type of pasta.  I find that shapes like penne, bow ties, or shells work well because the sauce can really stick to the curves of the pasta but feel free to use whatever you have in your house.

More Baked Pasta Recipes:

If you’ve tried my Bake Feta Pasta with Tomatoes or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

A bowl of spaghetti combined with tomatoes and feta with a fork sitting on top of the bowl.

Baked Feta Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes

Yield: serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Baked Feta Pasta is a super easy to make weeknight meal with just a handful of ingredients that combine to make a cheesy tomato sauce that is delicious over top of pasta.

Ingredients

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 oz. block of feta cheese
  • 1/4 c. fresh herbs, chopped (oregano, basil, thyme)
  • 12 oz. pasta
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a baking dish combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
  3. Place the brick of feta in the middle of the dish and turn to coat it with olive oil as well.
  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst.
  5. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving a cup of pasta water.
  6. Remove from oven and use a spoon or mashed to pop all of the tomatoes.
  7. Add in the fresh herbs and use a spoon to mix the herbs, feta, and tomatoes togehter.
  8. Add the pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until desired sauce consistency is reached.
  9. Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Recipe from Delish via TikTok

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 417mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 10g
A bowl of spaghetti combined with tomatoes and feta with a fork sitting on top of the bowl.

 

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