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    Home » Recipes » Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta

    Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta

    By Sherri On March 8, 2021, Updated January 8, 2022 6 Comments

    853 shares
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    square white baking dish with feta cheese block, italian seasoning and cooked cherry tomatoes
    white square baking dish with cherry tomatoes surrounding a block of feta cheese

    This Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta is a quick and easy dish coated in creamy feta and bursting with juicy tomato flavor! Sprinkled with herbs, this low-key, basically hands-off dish comes together in minutes.

    If you haven’t yet, you have got to check out this viral baked feta pasta dish and find out what all the hype is about. Learning a new, incredibly delicious dish that takes so little time and effort is never a bad idea. Jump on this bandwagon with me, you won’t be sorry! Hint – it is worth the rave reviews and then some!

    a white baking dish with cooked cherry tomatoes with a block of feta cheese in the center

    Table of contents

    • Pasta with Baked Feta and Cherry Tomatoes
    • What is baked feta pasta?
    • Why you will love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Variations
    • Tips
    • FAQ’s
      • Other Easy Pasta Recipes

    Pasta with Baked Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

    It’s pretty hard to avoid a Tik Tok trend these days which made it even harder not to want to see what all the fuss is about. The original recipe was created in Finland thanks to Finnish blogger Liemessa and when her fellow blogger, Tiiu, shared it, you could say it blew up. Apparently, grocery stores in Finland eventually ran out of feta!

    Trying this dish seemed inevitable. Besides, I love feta, tomatoes are yum and pasta is a no-brainer, so why wouldn’t I enjoy this? I took this simple concept and ran with it. And oh my goodness, it was amazing and ridiculously easy!

    What is baked feta pasta?

    This recipe sounds as if it might be a baked pasta dish, but it’s actually not. You do, however, bake the sauce, if you can believe it. You place a block of feta in the middle of a bed of cherry tomatoes that have been tossed in a bit of oil and light seasoning. It then gets baked until the feta turns nice and soft, and the tomatoes are cooked down to their juiciest form. It gets stirred together creating one of the creamiest, deliciously cheesy, sauces. You then toss in your cooked pasta and dinner is served. A crazy simple, yet spectacular, pasta dish. It is SO GOOD!

    a white baking dish with penne pasta in a feta cream sauce.

    Why you will love this recipe

    • Quick and easy which is perfect on busy nights and lazy nights.
    • Kid-friendly so you know they’ll be asking for seconds.
    • Simple ingredients including some you already have in your kitchen.
    • Can serve a crowd in pinch and it is a showstopper.
    • Easy clean up because you bake and serve out of the same dish.
    • Tastes amazing especially if you love all things feta!
    • Similar to this meatless baked ziti. Another easy, cheesy, pasta dish

    Ingredients

    • Feta cheese block – A firm cheese that has been brined which gives it a lovely saltiness.
    • Cherry tomatoes – Smaller than your average tomatoes and have a concentrated tomato flavor. You could also opt for juicy grape tomatoes.
    • Olive oil – Used to coat the tomatoes prior to baking.
    • Garlic – Minced. An aromatic that will add immense flavor.
    • Dried Italian seasoning – A simple seasoning blend that is a perfect pairing with feta and tomato.
    • Salt & Pepper – Salt is used to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients and pepper adds its own.
    • Penne pasta – Can definitely use whatever pasta you have on hand.
    • Optional – Red pepper flakes, chopped basil leaves, freshly grated parmesan.

    How to Make this Recipe

    This simple dish comes together in about 30 minutes!

    Step 1: Preheat the oven and place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Toss in olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Red pepper flakes as well, if you desire.

    Step 2: Place the feta block in the middle of the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes to the sides. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the feta cheese.

    a white baking dish with cherry tomatoes with garlic and herbs and a block of feta cheese in the center.

    Step 3: Place in oven to bake. In the meantime, cook your pasta as per package directions.

    Step 4: Remove cooked tomatoes and feta from the oven. Using a fork, mash the feta and tomatoes to create the creamy sauce. Then, add the pasta back into the cheese mixture and toss to combine thoroughly.

    Garnish with fresh basil and/ or parmesan cheese if desired.

    baking dish with tomato feta sauce and penne pasta being added and mixed in.

    Variations

    Variation 1: Make a gluten-free version. Because this dish is customizable you can swap regular pasta for any gluten-free pasta. Brown rice, quinoa, chickpea pastas are all great options.

    Variation 2: Make it a dip! Skip the pasta all together and use this incredible sauce as a dip for garlic bread, crusty bread, or even crackers.

    Variation 3: Add other vegetables, like spinach, mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, olives, etc. in when you toss the tomatoes in the olive oil.

    Variation 4: Toss is cooked chicken or ground beef for a heartier protein-packed version.

    baked feta cheese with penne pasta and basil on a white plate

    Tips

    • Use 2 pints of cherry tomatoes if you’d like a deeper tomato flavored sauce.
    • You can use either cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, or a mix of both.
    • Substitute ½ teaspoon of dried basil and ½ teaspoon dried oregano if you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand.
    • Roast your garlic ahead of time to give it a whole other layer of delicious garlic flavor.
    • This dish is simple with so few ingredients, so try and use the freshest high-quality ingredients that you can.

    FAQ’s

    Can I use crumbled feta cheese instead?

    If you want a smooth creamy texture, stick with the block. You can use crumbled feta but you may find it doesn’t melt as easily.

    Can I use goat cheese with instead of feta cheese?

    Sure! You will get a bit of a different flavor and not have the signature salty brine, but you can definitely use it if you prefer. It will blend nicely just make sure to decrease the cooking time.

    Can I use another pasta with this recipe?

    You can use any type of pasta you have on hand with this recipe. It’s very flexible! You could also use gluten-free or whole wheat. It’s the sauce that is the star of the show, so it will be a winner no matter which you choose to go with.

    Other Easy Pasta Recipes

    Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

    Chicken Pad Thai

    Roasted Asparagus and Bacon Carbonara

    Sweet Potato Gnocchi

    If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!

    square white baking dish with feta cheese block, italian seasoning and cooked cherry tomatoes

    Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

    This Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta is a quick and easy dish coated in creamy feta and bursting with juicy tomato flavor! Sprinkled with herbs, this low-key, basically hands-off dish comes together in minutes.
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 358kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounce feta cheese block
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 pound penne pasta
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

    Optional Garnishes

    • Fresh chopped basil leaves
    • Fresh grated parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
    • Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish
    • Add ¼ cup olive oil, garlic Italian seasoning, salt and pepper over tomatoes and toss to coat well. (add red pepper flakes now if desired)
    • Place the feta block in middle of the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes to the sides.
    • Drizzle the remaining olive oil over feta cheese.
    • Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
    • While the feta and tomatoes are baking, cook the pasta per the package directions.
    • After feta and tomatoes have cooked, remove from dish from oven.
    • Using a fork, mash the feta and tomatoes to create the creamy sauce.
    • Then, add the pasta back into to the cheese mixture and toss to combine thoroughly.
    • Garnish with fresh basil and/ or parmesan cheese if desired.

    Notes

    Use 2 pints of cherry tomatoes if you’d like the more tomatoey sauce.
    Substitute ½ teaspoon of dried basil and ½ teaspoon dried oregano if you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand.
    Add other vegetables, like spinach, mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, olives, etc. in when you toss the tomatoes in the olive oil.
    Toss is cooked chicken or ground beef for a heartier protein packed version.
    Nutritional information doesn’t include optional parmesan cheese or added vegetables or meat.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!
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    Filed Under: Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda Piffer

      June 25, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      4 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight, baking a spaghetti squash alongside the tomatoes and cheese to serve as the “pasta.” My only complaint was that I needed to add 20 minutes to the cooking time for it to be done. Delicious! Simple! I will DEFINITELY make this again.

      Reply
    2. Jennine Smith

      May 23, 2021 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I used a combination of cherry and grape tomatoes. For the noodles I used mafalda shape, mostly because because I had a bunch in hand. Definitely great by itself, but next time I may add some sweet Italian sausage, not too sure how that would impact the overall dish.

      Reply
      • Sherri

        May 23, 2021 at 2:10 pm

        It’s so amazing! I love the idea of the Italian sausage! I have added simple diced chicken I sautéed and loved it as well. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Murray Dickson

      March 13, 2021 at 1:57 am

      Fabulous recipe BUT….
      Could you PLEASE use METRIC MEASUREMENTS, as used in the majority of the civilised world?

      Reply
      • Kay

        March 22, 2021 at 3:14 pm

        I hope you found a suitable conversion tool. Those of us in the uncivilized United States appreciate the recipe as is.

        Reply
        • ApplePie

          April 02, 2021 at 3:26 am

          Thank the gods Americans love themselves, no one else can stand us.

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    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

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