Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is such a lovely, easy dinner, with very little preparation needed. The feta bakes alongside juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic and shallots in olive oil, creating a delicious, creamy sauce to stir through your favourite pasta.
I love how simple this recipe is to put together, with the oven doing most of the work. A few herbs add extra flavour, and everything comes together beautifully for a fuss-free family meal.
Where did baked feta pasta originate?
I am terrible at keeping up with recipe trends, and that is because in part I want to understand a recipe and make sure it tastes amazing not just be cool! I also do not want to just take a recipe from another creator without making it my own.
If you want the background of this interesting recipe read on, or hit Jump To Recipe above to get cooking.
The original creator of this roasted feta and tomato recipe was Liemessa, a Finnish Blogger. In early 2019, the recipe was published in Finnish and called Uunifetapasta. Some months later it became a viral hit on social media in Finland, Feta cheese sales went up there 300%!
How did baked feta pasta become so popular?
From there an American blogger Grilled Cheese Social heard of it from a friend that had a Finnish boyfriend who was a chef, who then translated the recipe into English. After posting it on Instagram and TikTok, in 2021, it went viral again and became the most googled recipe of that year!
Of course every blogger and their friend jumped on it and shared the original or an adapted version. I have tried many online versions over the years and never quite felt like it was flavourful enough, so I went and found the original and worked on it from there.
What ingredients make the best baked feta pasta?
Baking creamy feta and roasting cherry tomatoes to charred bursting bites of deliciousness is of course not new, many cultures have been creating versions of this style of recipe for many years, but this particular recipe sparked it all in our recent times.
My top tip for success in this recipe is using the best creamy sheep’s feta, fresh cherry tomatoes and a good quality extra virgin olive oil, these are the main ingredients for the sauce – so using the freshest ingredients will make all the difference to the outcome.
The result is a delicious rich and most of all EASY pasta sauce. The ingredients are so delicious, simple and fresh.
Other cherry tomato recipes to try
If you are looking for other recipes using cherry tomatoes then please check out some of mine below.
- Tomato & Basil 15 minute Pasta
- Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
- Chunky Cherry Tomato Salsa
What ingredients do you need for baked feta pasta?
Below is a list of what you will need to make the Viral Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes. Please scroll down to the printable recipe card for full details.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Feta Cheese
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Garlic Cloves
- Onion
- Chilli Flakes
- Shallot
- Thyme or Basil
- Lemon
- Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
- Dried Pasta or Spaghetti
How to make baked feta pasta with cherry tomatoes
The method is so simple, all you need is a baking dish, I find a lasagne style ceramic dish perfect for this, and your hot oven!
Drizzle a generous half of the olive oil, a good extra virgin olive oil will make all the difference to the flavour. Then add the block of feta to the middle of the dish, and sprinkle over a few chilli flakes.
Then you will add a whole load of cherry tomatoes, along with half a finely diced shallot, some finely diced garlic, and drizzle over the olive oil to coat the feta and tomatoes and then stir to coat. Add a few sprigs of thyme, some cracked pepper and sea salt and then bake on a high heat.
Halfway through the cooking time you will stir the cherry tomatoes again and then turn the oven to grill (leaving the dish in the centre of the oven) and then continue to cook the dish to create a lovely char on the top of the cherry tomatoes until they are blistering and bursting and the feta is golden.
While this is happening you will bring your pasta or spaghetti to just al dente, when you drain the pasta be sure to reserve the pasta water in case you need it to thin the sauce.
What pasta works best for baked feta pasta?
I have used pasta shells today, you can use these, rigatoni, penne, spaghetti, bowtie (farfalle) or even orzo. It’s a thin sauce so having a pasta with nooks and crannies to hold the sauce works really well.
What type of feta works best for baked feta pasta?
Traditionally this is made with Sheep’s Feta, as this is a more creamy variety. French or Danish Sheep’s Feta is ideal, or seek a variety that is listed as “creamy”. A good quality feta will make all the difference, it will be creamy not grainy and crumbly. However if crumbly is all you have the world will not end, it just has a different texture, still delicious.
Can I use other types of tomatoes?
With such a simple dish ideally you want to use cherry tomatoes, they are readily available year round. They are sweet and are the perfect tomato to juice ratio for this particular recipe. Alternatively you can use Roma tomatoes diced, or diced canned.
How to serve baked feta pasta with cherry tomatoes
Then once the feta and cherry tomatoes are perfectly roasted, mix it all together then add the pasta and stir to coat. Serve with loads of fresh basil stirred through and sprinkle over some fine lemon zest if you wish, add a side of crusty fresh bread and some butter and you will have a delicious meal.
Perfect for a meatless Monday or for the vegetarians and the meat lovers alike in your life!
How do I store and reheat leftover baked feta pasta?
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you wish to reheat it you can do so in the microwave or on the stove top – you may wish to add a drizzle of olive oil if it becomes dry.
Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes recipe
Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
This Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is an easy, flavourful dinner with creamy feta, roasted tomatoes and pasta, all with minimal preparation.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup + a Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 85 mls +
- 200 grams Feta Cheese (Creamy Sheep's Feta or Danish)
- Pinch Red Chilli Flakes
- 600 grams Cherry Tomatoes, whole, stem removed
- 1/2 Shallot, finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely diced
- Sea Salt
- Cracked Pepper
- 3-4 Sprigs Thyme
- 300 grams Pasta or Spaghetti, eg, Shells, Penne, Bowties or Rigatoni
- 1/2 Cup Reserved Pasta Water, 125 mls*
Garnish
- 1/3 Cup Basil Leaves, rinsed, torn
- 1 Lemon, finely zested (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C Bake and set the oven rack to the centre position.
- In a 33 x 23 cm Baking Dish add a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil across the base of the dish
- Place the feta in the centre and sprinkle with a pinch of chilli flakes
- Pack the rinsed cherry tomatoes all around the feta, sprinkle over the diced shallots and garlic, then pour the 1/3 cup of olive oil over the feta and the tomatoes
- Stir the tomatoes into the oil to coat, then sprinkle the dish with a light dusting of ground sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Add the sprigs of thyme and bake the dish for 20 minutes. At this time set a large saucepan of salted water on the stove to come to the boil.
- After 20 minutes turn the oven onto the Grill setting and increase the temperture to 230°C, and bake the dish (on the same centre rack position) for 10-20 minutes until the feta is golden brown and the tomatoes are bursting and beginning to char. I check at 10 minutes then cook in further 5 minute increments to ensure it chars well but doesn't burn.
- While the dish is on its final cook, add the pasta to the saucepan and cook until just al-dente, drain and reserve the pasta water and set both aside.
- Remove the hot golden baked feta from the oven.
- Carefully remove the stalks of the thyme. Tear most of the basil leaves and add to the dish, stir the feta into the tomatoes, lightly crushing the tomatoes further as you stir.
- Add the drained pasta to the mixed feta and tomatoes and gently fold the pasta through to coat.
- If needed, add a little of the pasta water a few tablespoons at time for a more 'saucy' consistency.
- Garnish with the few remaining basil leaves, sprinkle over the fine lemon zest and serve warm.
- You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Enjoy!
Notes
What is the best Feta for Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes?
Traditionally this is made with Sheep's Feta, as this is a more creamy variety. French or Danish Sheep's Feta is ideal, or seek a variety that is listed as "creamy". A good quality feta will make all the difference, it will be creamy not grainy and crumbly. However if crumbly is all you have the world will not end, it just has a different texture, still delicious.
Can I use other tomatoes to make this Baked Feta dish?
With such a simple dish ideally you want to use cherry tomatoes, they are readily available year round. They are sweet and are the perfect tomato to juice ratio for this particular recipe. Alternatively you can use Roma tomatoes diced, or diced canned.
Can I store leftovers of Baked Feta with Tomatoes?
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you wish to reheat it you can do so in the microwave or on the stove top - you may wish to add a drizzle of olive oil if it becomes dry.
What sort of pasta is best with Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes?
This is a thin sauce, so you want a pasta with a good surface area to hold the sauce - using pasta such as shell, bowtie, penne, rigatoni, spaghetti or even orzo will work well with this one.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 382Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 35mgSodium 385mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 11g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I really hope you love this Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes as much as we do. It is such a simple, flavourful meal to add to your regular dinner rotation, and one I know I’ll be making again and again.
If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments. You can also leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above, it really helps others find and enjoy this recipe too.
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Happy baking,
Anna x
Gill says
I’m unsure whether you break the feta up at the end to evenly distribute it among the pasta and tomatoes. Otherwise seems scrumptious.