Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes (Printable version)

Creamy pasta with roasted feta, burst cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or your choice)

→ Cheese and Vegetables

02 - 7 oz block feta cheese
03 - 2 pints cherry tomatoes, whole
04 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
07 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp sea salt

→ Fresh Herbs and Garnish

09 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place the cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Nestle the whole feta block in the center of the tomatoes. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top of the cheese.
04 - Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and the feta is golden and soft.
05 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a fork to mash the feta and tomatoes together, creating a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the baking dish. Stir until everything is well combined and coated in sauce.
08 - Stir in the fresh basil and lemon zest. Serve warm.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • This dish creates its own silky sauce while baking which means almost no active cooking time
  • The combination of salty feta and sweet roasted tomatoes is practically foolproof
  • You can have dinner on the table in under 45 minutes with minimal cleanup
02 -
  • Reserving that pasta water is absolutely essential as the starch helps bind the sauce and make it cling to every piece of pasta
  • The quality of your feta matters here since it is the star so try to find a block that feels heavy and moist not dry or crumbly
03 -
  • Use a 9 by 13 inch baking dish so the tomatoes have room to roast not steam
  • Let the dish rest for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken slightly

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