Description
A comforting, effortless weeknight dinner featuring a block of feta and cherry tomatoes roasted together to create a creamy, tangy sauce tossed with pasta. Perfect for when you need a low-stress, high-reward meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 block (250g / 8.8 oz) feta cheese
- 600g (1.3 lbs) cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 400g (14 oz) pasta (penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt (optional, as feta is salty)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the block of feta cheese in the center of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Surround the feta with cherry tomatoes in a single layer.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil, ensuring tomatoes glisten and feta is coated.
- Sprinkle minced garlic and red pepper flakes over everything. Season with black pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until tomatoes are burst and feta is golden and puffy.
- About 10 minutes into roasting, boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Remove baking dish from oven and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Mash feta and tomatoes together with a wooden spoon to create a creamy sauce.
- Toss in the drained pasta and fresh basil.
- Add reserved pasta water as needed to adjust consistency.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Do not use pre-crumbled feta as it contains potato starch which prevents proper melting. Always reserve pasta water to help bind the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. If too thin, simmer briefly or add more cheese. For a dairy-free option, swap feta for vegan cheese or omit it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 18
Keywords: baked feta pasta, viral recipe, self-care dinner, easy weeknight meals, one pan pasta, comfort food, vegetarian pasta