Baked Feta Pasta Cherry (Printable)

A creamy pasta dish with roasted feta, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil for a simple, tasty meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb whole cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
05 - ¾ cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped

→ Pantry

06 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne or fusilli)
07 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
08 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F to prepare for roasting.
02 - In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine whole cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, and red onion if using. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, then toss to coat evenly.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the tomato mixture and drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the feta.
04 - Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until tomatoes blister and feta softens and turns golden.
05 - While roasting, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a fork to mash the roasted feta and tomatoes to form a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the drained pasta and half of the basil into the baking dish. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
08 - Dish out immediately, garnishing with remaining basil leaves and an extra sprinkle of black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It uses one dish for the entire sauce, which means less cleanup and more time to actually sit down and eat.
  • The feta melts into something ridiculously creamy without any cream, butter, or complicated technique.
  • You can walk away while it bakes, no stirring or watching required.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour on it when you really spent ten minutes throwing things in a pan.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it contains starch that binds the sauce and keeps it from separating.
  • If the feta looks too brown before 30 minutes, tent the dish loosely with foil to protect it while the tomatoes finish cooking.
  • Use a baking dish large enough that the tomatoes sit in one layer, or they will steam instead of roast.
03 -
  • Buy the best feta you can afford, preferably one packed in brine, because it stays creamy and does not crumble when it bakes.
  • If your tomatoes are not in season, roasting them like this fixes their flavor better than any fresh raw tomato ever could.
  • Let the dish rest for two minutes after tossing before serving, the sauce will thicken slightly and cling better to the pasta.

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