Description

Baked Feta Pasta, known as TikTok Pasta, is a creamy, flavorful, and easy-to-make dish featuring roasted grape tomatoes and garlic with a block of feta cheese baked until soft and slightly browned. Mixed with al dente pasta, fresh spinach, basil, parsley, and a hint of red pepper flakes, this comforting baked pasta combines tangy, savory, and fresh herbal notes perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

2 pints (20 oz) grape tomatoes
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
8 oz. spinach, roughly chopped (8 packed cups)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Dairy

7 – 8 oz. block feta cheese (sheep’s milk variety, such as Murray’s), drained

Pantry

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
10 oz. dry pasta such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi
1/2 cup reserved pasta water

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Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Tomatoes: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the grape tomatoes and halved garlic cloves to a 3-quart baking dish. Toss with the extra-virgin olive oil and season with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place the block of drained feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes and turn it to coat evenly with the oil.
Bake Tomatoes and Feta: Place the baking dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes to allow the tomatoes to blister and the feta to soften.
Brown the Feta and Tomatoes: Remove the baking dish from the oven. Raise your oven rack up to the upper third of the oven and increase the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes and cheese are slightly browned and caramelized.
Cook Pasta and Wilt Spinach: While the feta and tomatoes bake, bring a large pot of salted water to boil (use about 1 tablespoon salt and 3 to 4 quarts of water). Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Right before draining, add the chopped spinach to the pasta and cook with the hot pasta water to wilt it quickly. Drain pasta and spinach together.
Combine and Mash Mixture: Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the roasted tomatoes, softened garlic, olive oil, and feta cheese together in the baking dish until combined into a creamy sauce.
Toss Pasta with Sauce and Herbs: Add the cooked pasta and wilted spinach to the baking dish and toss everything together. Stir in the fresh basil, minced parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes for fresh flavor and a hint of heat.
Adjust Consistency and Seasoning: Thin the sauce with a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve the pasta warm for best flavor.

Notes

Choose short, sturdy pasta shapes like campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi to hold the creamy sauce well.
If you prefer a less spicy dish, reduce the amount of crushed red pepper flakes or omit entirely.
This dish is best served immediately but can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Sheep’s milk feta is preferred for its creaminess and flavor, but you can substitute with cow’s milk feta if needed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 470 kcal
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 620 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 60 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 16 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg