Baked Feta Pasta Cherry (Printable Version)

A creamy Mediterranean dish featuring baked feta, roasted cherry tomatoes, and perfectly cooked pasta.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese & Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
05 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

→ Pasta

06 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or similar)

→ Spices & Seasonings

07 - ½ tsp dried oregano
08 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt, to taste
10 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes and minced garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes if using, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat evenly.
03 - Place the block of feta in the center of the baking dish amidst the tomatoes. Drizzle additional olive oil over the feta.
04 - Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst and the top of the feta is lightly golden.
05 - While baking, boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a fork to mash the feta and tomatoes together until creamy and well blended.
07 - Add cooked pasta and chopped basil to the baking dish. Toss all ingredients together, adding reserved pasta water gradually to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately garnished with extra basil leaves.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a creamy sauce without any heavy cream or complicated steps.
  • Everything roasts together in one dish, so cleanup is almost nonexistent.
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but you were really just waiting around.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it's the secret to a silky sauce that clings to every piece of pasta.
  • Make sure your feta is a solid block, not pre-crumbled, or it will dry out instead of melting into creamy goodness.
03 -
  • Use the ripest, sweetest cherry tomatoes you can find, they make all the difference in the final sauce.
  • Don't rush the baking time, those extra minutes let the feta caramelize on top and the tomatoes collapse into jammy perfection.

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