5 from 69 votes
Baked Feta Pasta (TikTok Pasta)
Baked Feta Pasta combines roasted grape tomatoes and garlic with a whole block of feta cheese, melted and lightly browned, creating a creamy, tangy sauce. After baking, the mixture is smashed and combined with cooked pasta, fresh spinach, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes. This results in a comforting pasta dish with a rich texture and a balance of sweet tomato, salty cheese, and aromatic herbs, popularized by social media and adaptable to various pasta shapes.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings:
5
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Greek, Italian
Ingredients
- 2 pints (20 oz) grape tomatoes
- 5 medium garlic peeled and halved, cloves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 7 oz. block feta cheese (sheep's milk variety, such as Murray's), drained
- 10 oz. pasta such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi, dry
- 8 oz. spinach roughly chopped (8 packed cups
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil fresh
- 2 Tbsp minced parsley fresh
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1/2 cup water reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add grape tomatoes and garlic to a 3 quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place feta in the center of tomatoes, turn to coat with oil.
- Bake in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Then remove the baking dish, raise oven rack up to upper 1/3 of the oven. Return baking dish to oven and increase oven to 450 degrees. Bake until tomatoes and cheese are starting to brown slightly, about 10 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile boil pasta to al dente in salted water (I use 1 Tbsp salt and about 3 or 4 quarts of water), according to time listed on pasta package.
- Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and right before draining pour and submerge spinach in with the pasta (it should wilt almost instantly). Drain pasta and spinach.
- Smash the tomatoes, garlic, oil and feta together with the back of a wooden spoon. Toss pasta in with mixture along with basil, parsley and red pepper flakes.
- Thin mixture with a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
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Notes
- Use any short pasta shape such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
- Fresh herbs like basil and parsley added at the end brighten the dish.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to taste for mild or more pronounced heat.