Baked Feta Pasta

Feta pasta in a white casserole dish with a spoon in it.

5 from 4 votes

Baked feta pasta recipe is a super easy recipe for your weeknight dinners. Roasted cherry tomatoes, feta, fresh basil and a some pantry spices makes for a wonderful sauce base for this pasta dish.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

2 pints (630g) grape/cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon dry oregano plus a pinch more
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil divided
3 large garlic cloves minced
1 (8oz) block feta cheese
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves chopped
8 oz (228g) dry pasta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a 13x9 baking dish add tomatoes, 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Toss to cover.
Place the block of feta in the middle and drizzle it with the remaining tablespoon of oil and a pinch of oregano.
Bake for 20 minutes then crank up the temperature to 450 and bake for 10 minutes more.
Mean while cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve a cup of the cooking water.
As soon as it comes out of the oven mash everything well.
Add chopped basil and cooked pasta and mix well.
If you feel the sauce is not smooth as you like add pasta water and mix.
Serve into bowls and top with more basil leaves if desired.

Notes

In the original recipe they used fresh chile pepper and you'll find some using crushed red pepper flakes. I did not use either in this recipe.
Use any pasta you have/like.
I've seen people use goat cheese, full fat ricotta cheese, crumbled feta piled in the middle, burrata (added in the end), vegan feta or a combination of mozzarella and cream cheese. I haven't tried that though, but people went crazy with all sorts of cheese.
I prefer adding the garlic from the start to roast with the tomatoes rather than adding it in with the basil. This is my personal preference but you can do either.
Using cow feta cheese might make the texture a bit gritty, which we did not mind. If this will bother you save some pasta boiling water and add them in later in with the pasta for a smoother sauce.
You can absolutely make this dish entirely on stove top in a skillet.
For a low carb version use zoodles (zucchini noodles).
This dish is most flavorful right out of the oven, however leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 days. When reheating add a little bit of boiled water (1-2 tablespoons depending on how much you have) to the pasta.
Variations: You can add leftover grilled chicken or even a can of tuna to the dish.
For a vegan recipe: use vegan feta cheese and vegan pasta like chickpea pasta. Make sure to adjust baking time as vegan feta melts quicker than regular feta.
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Nutrition