Tomato Feta Pasta

Okay, so I just had to do it! For those that may not be on social media much – this is from a TikTok, which is a website where people create and share short videos. This pasta recipe recently went viral and is pretty simple. There aren’t too many instructions or directions around it and it is pretty hard to mess up! When I came across it, I have several questions running through my mind…like how does this turn out creamy? Feta can have a strong taste, so is this going to taste good? and most importantly, why didn’t I think of this before? I love feta and tomatoes – another dish that comes to mind is Shakshuka, but feta can be overpowering and it has a strong bite to it when eaten raw. I was intrigued at how you could take an entire block of feta, bake it to where it becomes creamy, and not have an overly powerful taste. This dish turned out better than I could have expected honestly. Baking the feta yields a very cream cheese with a more mild flavor. It works very well together with the roasted tomatoes. I put together my own measurements of the ingredients, but it is super customizable – I don’t think you will find two of the exact same recipes out there for this!

1Lb Pasta, such as penne, orecchiette, shells
1 Block Fresh Feta
4 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Salt
1/2 Tbsp Pepper
2 Tbsp Basil
3 Tbsp Minced Garlic
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total TIme: 50 Minutes

To Make:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large, oven safe dish, add the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, garlic and olive oil. Mix well to evenly coat.
Make a hole in the middle and place the block of feta in the middle. Drizzle with just a touch more olive oil.
Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes until the cherry tomatoes start to blister and the feta becomes soft.
While the feta and tomatoes are cooking. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Add in the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it is al dente.
Drain the pasta and set aside until the feta and tomatoes are finished.
Once the feta and tomatoes are finished, remove from the oven. The feta should be creamy and easy to mix. Gently mix the feta and tomatoes together to create a creamy sauce – you want to be careful so you do not smash all the tomatoes.
Add in the pasta and combined well.
Serve and top with freshly cracked pepper! Enjoy!

STEP 2