This Baked Feta Pasta (Tiktok Original!) is one of those dishes that's ridiculously easy. I shared this feta tomato pasta recipe in 2019 after hearing about Finnish Blogger, Liemessa's, viral dish. I wanted to share an English version of her recipe which then went viral on my instagram and now tiktok! To make it, simply fill a baking dish with feta, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and bake. Toss with fresh garlic, cooked pasta, and basil and you've got dinner handled!
And. if you want the viral tiktok baked feta pasta recipe but no tomatoes, try my baked feta pasta with butternut squash, sage and hot honey or even this spring themed baked goat cheese pasta with asparagus, peas and herbs!
Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil
As you can imagine, I'm always on the lookout for new food trends. Whether it's my rainbow grilled cheese sandwich or a konbi inspired egg salad sandwich, I try to stay on top of these sort of things!
That's why I'm super excited to share my own version of this tasty recipe! It's even blowing up on tiktok and instagram with over 2 million views!!!
Back in 2019 when I wrote this post, one of my internet friends, Milla, shared a recipe that's taken the European blogging scene by storm.
This viral recipe also know as #uunifetapasta was made famous in Finland by a blogger @liemessa in 2019. You can find her original post here -- just select the translate option in the corner!
BUT another Finnish blogger named Tiiu posted about it in 2018 on her blog lainahoyhenissa back in February of 2018! Here is Tiiu's insta if you'd like to give her a follow!
So much drama, I know!!! I even did a little insta story highlight in case you'd like to see how the drama all went down!
And to be truthful, I love that it seems to be inspired by one of my favorite appetizers - baked feta!
UPDATE: Not only has this gone viral in 2020 but now it's viral on Tiktok, too!
My tiktok video has over 1.2 million views and my mind is blown!!!
Except in this dish, the the feta is baked with tomatoes and a bunch of olive oil. After the feta and tomatoes have been baked, it's then tossed with fresh garlic, bowtie pasta, and basil.
Fair warning, your kitchen will smell a-freakin-amazing!
It's not only a super flavorful dish but it's also beyond easy to make. It's one of those perfect dinners that you can prepare without really having to pay attention to it.
I also made this butternut squash pasta for Fall and it's amazing!
For pairings, I recommend serving it with these tasty cream cheese sausage balls or this tasty citrus avocado kale salad. For dessert, I think you should make this cake-mix banana bread with salted honey butter because I honestly can't stop dreaming about!
Ingredients & Substitutions
(scroll to the bottom for exact measurements & printable recipe card!)
- Pasta - any shape you'd like! I love bowties and orzo!
- Feta - use a block of feta for best results. Crumbled feta works too but doesn't melt as beautifully.
- Cherry Tomatoes - these work best but grape tomatoes work, too! And if they're a little wilted and old, even better! They make the dish sweeter.
- Garlic - I highly recommend fresh garlic... not the processed chopped kind that you can buy at the grocery.
- Basil - fresh basil works best but you could also swap it for rosemary or thyme if needed.
- Salt - kosher salt works best for my recipe but you could also use pink himalayan.
- Red Pepper Flakes - the original recipe uses chiles but i swapped it out for red pepper flakes because i always have it on hand.
- Olive Oil - Any olive oil will do! Just don't skimp, you want the tomatoes swimming in olive oil!
How to make the Feta with Tomatoes
Baked feta is one of my favorite dishes! Before I had this pasta, I'd cook it up as an appetizer and serve it with crusty bread and crackers.
Now that I've had it on pasta, Faaageetttaboutit! I'm only doing this from now on!
And the best thing is, the technique is the same!
To begin, simply preheat your oven to 400F. Then toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper in a baking dish.
Stick a block of feta in the middle and add another glug of olive oil along with some red pepper flakes.
You'll then bake the whole thing for 30 minutes then turn it on 450 and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the feta is brown and the tomatoes have burst.
While it's baking, roughly chop the garlic and get the basil ready.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and add chopped garlic and basil and stir. The residual heat will cook the garlic and pepper flakes perfectly! This is also the time where your whole kitchen will start to smell like heaven!
After that, simply toss it with pasta.
If the dish is perfectly creamy, then it's ready to serve!
If it's a little dry, add ¼ cup of pasta water and stir it up -- this will help loosen the sauce and make it silky!
That's it! Dinner is ready!
Tips and Tricks
SIZE MATTERS - Make sure you're using a small baking dish so the tomatoes are crowded together and touching. This will help the tomatoes confit and turn into their most delicious selves!
TOO DRY? - If you find that your baked feta pasta is too dry -- simply add ½ cup of starchy pasta water. If it's still too dry, then add another ½ cup and stir.
FULL FAT FTW - Sure, reduced fat feta will work but the full fat variety will be best!
WHAT IF YOU ONLY HAVE CRUMBLED FETA? Don't worry, it'll still work! Just try your best to keep the feta crumbled piled up in the middle.
HOW TO MAKE IT VEGAN - follow the recipe as is but do not add the vegan feta until the last 5-10 minutes because it will melt and splatter all over your oven.
LOW CARB VERSION - try swapping out the noodles for zoodles or spaghetti squash
OTHER PASTA SHAPES - I personally love this with orzo but you could try rigatoni, macaroni, radiatori, or pretty much any shape your heart desires!
More Baked Feta Pasta Inspired Recipes
All of these recipes use the baked feta pasta method which is quick, easy, and delicious!
- Baked Feta Pasta with Butternut Squash, Hot Honey & Sage
- Springtime Baked Goat Cheese Pasta with Asparagus, Peas & Herbs
- Baked Queso Mac and Cheese
- Baked Blue Cheese Pasta with Bacon, Spinach & Tomatoes
Save for later
I love when you save my recipes for later! That's why I created these super cute pinterest images!
And if you don't already, please follow me on pinterest! I share daily inspiration for cooking, home design and fun DIY projects!
Video:
Recipe: Baked Feta Pasta - Tiktok Original
Baked Feta Pasta - Tiktok Original
Ingredients
- 1 lb bowtie pasta
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 boxes cherry tomatoes (around 20-25 oz)
- 1 block feta about 8 oz
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 pinches red pepper flakes
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Add tomatoes, olive oil, and salt to a baking dish and toss.
- Place the block of feta in the middle and top with a splash more of olive oil plus a few pinches red pepper flakes. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare bowtie pasta al dente according to directions then strain -- being sure to save some pasta water for later on.
- After the 30 minutes has past, crank the heat up to 450 and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the feta and tomatoes have browned.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and IMMEDIATELY add the garlic and basil and stir. The residual heat from the tomatoes and olive oil will take the raw edge off the garlic.
- Now add in the strained al dente pasta and stir one more time. Season with salt and pepper to taste! (And if the sauce is dry, you can add ¼ cup pasta water and stir to loosen the sauce!)
Video
Notes
xoxo,
GCS
Julie
This is an awesome recipe. I would not hesitate to serve it to company. The only change I would recommend is to add your minced garlic to the tomatoes and roast. Much more flavorful than adding them as written in the recipe. I also added cooked Italian sausage at the end and stirred in.