Baked feta pasta is a simple recipe made by oven roasting a block of feta cheese with cherry tomatoes to create a salty and cheesy sauce!
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces dried cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 8- ounce block feta cheese
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil plus more for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
1Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
2Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the cherry tomatoes, and flip a couple times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning.
3Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts.
4While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid in case you’d like to toss it in.
5Immediately add the garlic and basil leaves to the cooked tomatoes and feta and toss everything to combine.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve warm.
NOTES
Recipe: I learned about this recipe idea from Grilled Cheese Social, and this is based on her version.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
- Instead of cavatappi pasta, you can use any pasta or make it with gluten-free pasta
- Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use regular whole tomatoes or even canned diced tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes have the best flavor here.
