Baked feta pasta has it all, big bold flavors, creamy comfort, and carbs!
Baked feta pasta is the perfect summer food: itโs creamy, bright and tomato-y, and SO damn delicious. Itโs probably the simplest pasta dish youโll make this month and the reward is so high for an incredibly low effort.
What is tiktok pasta?
Itโs super simple: cherry tomatoes are tossed with olive oil and placed in a baking dish with a block of feta. Everything gets baked up until the tomatoes burst, releasing their sweet and jammy flavors. The feta gets melty and oozy. You mix it all up into a quick sauce, toss in minced garlic, basil, crushed red pepper, and pasta. Boom, dinner is done!
Tiktok pasta is so good and easy
Sometimes the best kind of cooking is the kind that takes no time at all so you can spend more time with loved ones enjoying the food. I love that the prep time for this dish is so low and the actual hands on time is super low. If you can stir, you can make this dish.
The dominant flavors of this pasta are feta and tomatoes, itโs practically a two ingredient pasta. If youโre not a huge feta fan, you can definitely use another cheese โ baked brie, cream cheese, or ricotta would be amazing.
How to make tiktok pasta
- Toss: In a baking dish, toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil. Place a block of feta in the middle and drizzle some oil on top.
- Bake: Bake the tomatoes and feta in the oven until the tomatoes burst and the cheese is melty.
- Cook: While the feta is in the oven, cook the pasta.
- Stir: When the tomatoes and feta are done, stir in some minced garlic, some crushed red pepper flakes, and the pasta, loosening with some pasta water if needed. Finish with fresh basil.
- Eat: Thatโs it! Scoop it up an enjoy a bowl of pure cheesy carby comfort.
Tiktok pasta ingredients
- cherry tomatoes โ the sweeter the better! There are so many types of mini tomatoes these days, from strawberry to grape to on the vine to heirloom. I used one package of classic cherry tomatoes and one package of cherry tomatoes on the vine.
- feta โ youโll want to get a nice higher quality Greek feta since itโs the main flavor of the dish. Grab a block of feta, the kind that comes in a brine, not the crumbles. If you want a milder, creamier feta, try French feta, itโs less tart than Greek.
- olive oil โ most of the recipes Iโve seen call from anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil. I went with 1/3 cup, you want enough to coat the tomatoes and feta while having a bit of oil pool at the bottom of your baking dish so the tomatoes are essentially doing a tomato confit type thing. Too little olive oil and your tomatoes will end up drying out.
- pasta โ you can use any shape you like, we went with casarecce the first time and rotini the second time and both were great.
- garlic โ a couple cloves of minced garlic are mixed in and the residual heat of the tomatoes mellows the sharpness out while still giving you a huge hit of garlicky goodness.
- basil โ fresh basil and tomatoes are perfect pairing. Slice some up to stir in and keep some extra leaves whole to garnish with!
Tomatoes
Itโs tomato season and summer is the perfect time to make Tiktok baked feta pasta. There are so many sweet tomatoes out there right now and theyโll all add a nice seasonal twist to this comfort classic. Even if you arenโt a tomato fan, fresh, ripe, in-season tomatoes just hit different, so give them a try!
Just remember to keep your tomatoes on the countertop until you cut them. Refrigerated tomatoes wonโt taste as good as room temp ones.
Donโt just stick with cherry, try these:
- roma tomatoes
- grape tomatoes
- beefsteak tomatoes
- cocktail tomatoes
- heirloom tomatoes
Not a tomatoer?
If youโre really not a fan of tomatoes, try these no tomato baked feta pastas:
- Zucchini and peppers โ chop up 1-2 zucchinis and 1 red pepper in place of the tomatoes.
- Broccoli and lemon โ chop up 1 head of broccoli in place of the tomatoes and finish with lemon zest.
How to choose the best feta
Choose a feta that is made from sheepโs milk! Feta made from cowโs milk or goat milk is more crumby. If you want a smooth and creamy feta, sheepโs milk feta is the way to go. Also, younger fetas are more milky and creamy and aged fetas tend to be more complex and intense.
Greek feta vs French feta
If youโre not a huge fan of feta but you want to try this pasta, try using French feta. Greek feta tends to be saltier, more crumbly, and tangy which can lead to your sauce being grainy. If youโre Greek feta fan, go for feta that has more sheepโs milk rather than goat. French feta is made with only sheepโs milk and is mild and creamy compared to Greek feta. Bulgarian feta is very similar to French feta: itโs made with 100% sheepโs milk and is not aged as long so itโs a lot creamier and not as tangy.
Adding protein
If youโre looking to add some protein to your Tiktok baked feta pasta, itโs super easy, barely an inconvenience. Since the pasta bakes at 400ยฐF for 30 minutes, you can add just about any protein to the baking dish and itโll crisp up and cook in the oven while the tomatoes are roasting.
Pancetta
For a twist, add cubes of pancetta, theyโll crisp up into little nuggets of rich, porky deliciousness.
Chicken
You can add chicken to the pan, raw and cubed before you roast the feta and tomatoes. Theyโll cook up while the tomatoes are roasting. If you have leftover chicken in the fridge, you can also just stir it into the sauce when you stirring in the pasta.
Tofu
If youโre vegetarian, pressed tofu cubed up will add some extra lean protein. Some of the cubes with stay intact and some of them will stir into the sauce making it extra creamy.
Help, my baked feta pasta is too tart!
Itโs winter right now and thereโs no escaping the fact that the cherry tomatoes out there arenโt the sweetest. Because this feta pasta doesnโt really have much sugar in it, the sauce can end up pretty tart or tangy depending on your tomatoes. The easy fix is adding a bit of sugar but if you donโt want to do that, the best thing to do is add some thinly sliced onions or shallots to the baking dish when youโre roasting the feta and tomatoes. The onions will caramelize in the oil and add a jammy sweetness.
What is baked feta pasta?
Baked feta pasta is a pasta dish thatโs currently going viral on TikTok right now because itโs incredibly easy to make, tasty, and it looks good. Itโs based off of a Greek appetizer, baked feta. The first mention of mixing baked feta with pasta was popularized by Finnish blogger Jenni Hรคyrinen. She called it uunifetapasta or baked feta pasta. Apparently feta pasta is incredibly popular in Finland because a couple of other bloggers also blogged about it as well.
Tiktok pasta FAQ
What if I donโt like feta?
If you donโt like feta, try using French feta which has a bit of a milder flavor or even a different kind of cheese. This pasta recipe will also work with brie, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, or even cream cheese.
Do I have to use cherry tomatoes for tiktok pasta?
If you donโt have cherry tomatoes, literally any tomato will work, you want about 1 lb. If you use larger tomatoes, quarter them before baking.
What kind of pasta should I use for feta baked pasta?
Any kind at all! I ended up using casarecce which is a cute pasta thatโs shaped like an โS.โ You can use penne, rotini, macaroni, rigatoni, or even long pastas like spaghetti or fettuccine.
What kind of baking dish should I use?
Itโs better to use a baking dish thatโs not too large โ a medium baking dish will help keep all the tomatoes close together and in the olive oil so they donโt dry out too much. We want the tomatoes jammy and soft, not oven dried.
I donโt like raw garlic, does the garlic need to be raw?
When you add the raw garlic to the hot tomatoes, the residual heat of the tomatoes and feta will gently warm up the garlic and take off the raw edge while leaving a huge hit of garlicky flavor. If you really donโt want to use raw garlic, you can add it to the pan before you roast the tomatoes, but make sure they are covered in oil so they donโt get burnt.
Tips on making Tiktok pasta taste EVEN BETTER
- Add everything to the pan. The original recipe has you stir in raw garlic after the tomatoes and feta are baked in the oven. For an even more delicious pasta, add crushed or smashed garlic directly to the pan when you add the tomatoes. Other aromatics will work too: quarter some onions or shallots for a sweet onion-y addition, or even ginger for a warming touch.
- Think about other herbs. Everyone knows basil and tomatoes go together, but get creative! Add some thyme sprigs, scallions, chives, oregano, parsley, or rosemary. Maybe sprinkle on some everything bagel spice or use Italian seasoning for even more flavor.
- Try a mix of cheeses. Go for half feta and half cream cheese for the ultimate in creamy, cheesy goodness.
Recipes similar to this Tiktok pasta
Did you enjoy making super delicious and easy pasta with under 5 ingredients? You can try these other ones too:
- 2 Ingredient Creamy Herby Garlicky Pasta
- Everything Bagel Spice Aglio E Olio Pasta
- Sour Cream and Onion Pasta
- 2 Ingredient Alfredo Sauce
Thatโs it! I hope you give this pasta a try. Itโs all my cheesy, carb-y, garlicky, tomato dreams in a bowl.
xoxo steph
Baked feta pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes or any other tomatoes
- 1/3 cup olive oil the good stuff
- 8 oz feta cheese 1 block
- 9 oz pasta of choice
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- fresh basil chopped, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. In a baking dish, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and place the feta in the middle, turning it to coat it in oil. Season everything with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, turn the heat up to 450ยฐF and roast until the feta is golden brown 10-15 minutes.
- While the feta is baking, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Save 1-2 cups of the pasta water, then drain well.
- When the feta and tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and immediately add the garlic and crushed red pepper, if using. Stir everything together until the tomatoes and feta combine into a creamy sauce.
- Stir in the drained pasta until well coated and creamy, adding in a bit of pasta water to loosen if too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in some chopped basil and finish with crushed red pepper. Enjoy!
Hi, I am making this dish tonight โ is there another ingredient I could add so itโs not just pure feta and tomato? I saw your list on proteins you can add but Iโd rather add a vegetable, any thoughts? :)
hi jahnavi,
you can absolutely stir in vegetables โ you can stir in spinach at the end when youโre adding the pasta, the heat from the sauce will wilt and cook it. hope that helps!
I didnโt add pasta and added veggies instead โ broccoli, artichoke hearts, asparagus, zucchini flowers โ I wanted to cut down the carbs. It was delicious!
This was soooo good. I added red onions and rosemary to the oil and arugula and parsley in with the pasta. My kids loved it. Thanks for posting!
Looks tasty!!Feta is unique Greek cheese as registered name all over the world as the Greek yogurt alsoโฆSo may be there is a French cheese like Feta cheese..
Can I use tinned cherry tomatoes
hi diane,
i havenโt used them myself personally. i think it would work but would be quite saucy, if you like saucy pasta, go for it!
hi Diane, i used a mix of fresh cherry toms and drained tinned cherry toms worked well.
Do you drain the feta?
yes, drain the feta!
I make this all the time after my feta and tomatoes have been in about 15 minutes I add white wine by the time its cooked its removed the alcohol content. Its a stronger better flavour than with pasta water. I also only use fresh tagatelli pasta and truffle flavoured olive oil :) this dish is a real winner. Another fantastic cheese to use (if you can get it in the US) is Boursin its a creamy garlicky herby soft cheese
I put uncooked pasta on the bottom of the dish. Then on top I put frozen spinach and frozen mushrooms. Place cut up cheese on top of that. Put cherry tomatoes tossed in oil on top. I placed feta in the center and baked. Then after itโs done I added the herbs and spices.
Iโve made this several times and I always double the recipe and use 1.5 boxes of pasta. I also add a diced onion and a block of cream cheese with the doubled feta. My daughter who doesnโt like tomatoes actually loves this dish even with tomatoes!
I made exactly as written (with rigatoni as the pasta) and it was fabulous. Truly one of the easiest dishes ever, but youโd never know it by the flavor โ the taste is like something slaved over all day. This is definitely going to be on repeat. Thank you!