Baked Feta Pasta Basil (Printer-friendly)

Creamy baked feta with cherry tomatoes and basil creates a flavorful Mediterranean pasta dish.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb whole cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
05 - ¾ cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped

→ Pantry

06 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne or fusilli)
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, and red onion if using. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Place the feta block in the center of the vegetables and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
04 - Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until tomatoes blister and feta is golden and soft.
05 - While baking, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven and mash feta and tomatoes with a fork until creamy.
07 - Add drained pasta and half of the basil to the baking dish. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with remaining basil and extra black pepper as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a silky sauce without any cream needed, which feels like a small miracle every time.
  • It comes together in 40 minutes flat, yet tastes like you've been fussing in the kitchen all afternoon.
  • Cherry tomatoes burst in the heat and turn sweet and jammy, making even winter grocery store tomatoes taste like summer.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—it sounds fussy but that starch is what transforms broken feta and tomatoes into an actual sauce instead of a chunky mess.
  • The feta won't fully melt into a smooth cream; it stays in soft, savory clouds mixed with the tomato. That's intentional and it's the whole point.
03 -
  • Choose an ovenproof dish just large enough for everything to fit snugly—a crowded baking dish means the tomatoes steam slightly and concentrate their flavors instead of spreading out and drying.
  • If your feta seems particularly salty, let it roast first for 15 minutes before adding the pasta, which gives you a chance to taste and adjust seasoning afterward.

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