Description
A simple, creamy, and visually stunning pasta dish made by baking a block of feta cheese with cherry tomatoes, then tossing the resulting sauce with pasta. It is a quick, budget-friendly weeknight meal that requires minimal active effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 block (250g / 9 oz) feta cheese
- 500g (1 lb) cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey
- 3–4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
- 400g (1 lb) pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- Salt (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place cherry tomatoes and the block of feta cheese in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with sliced garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt if needed.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until tomatoes have burst and feta is soft and golden.
- While baking, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Remove baking dish from oven and let cool slightly. Mash the feta and tomatoes together to form a creamy sauce.
- Add the drained pasta to the baking dish (or sauce to a skillet) and toss to combine.
- Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Stir in chopped fresh basil and serve immediately.
Notes
Use a solid block of feta, not crumbled, for the best creamy texture. Save the starchy pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. For leftovers, reheat gently with a splash of milk or pasta water to maintain creaminess. This dish does not freeze well due to the dairy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 14
Keywords: baked feta pasta, easy dinner, 30 minute meals, weeknight dinner, pasta recipes, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, one pan meal, budget friendly