Baked Feta Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
This Baked Feta Pasta is so creamy, so flavorful, so easy to make…seriously, you’ve got to try this one! Cherry tomatoes are roasted with a block of feta and seasoning to create a cheesy sauce. Add cooked pasta, mix—and dinner is on the table.
Are you a huge tomato fan? Me too! You’ll love this roasted tomato soup recipe. And, if you are looking for an easy snack or quick lunch, give this tomato toast with mozzarella a try!
Tomatoes, garlic, onion, and feta cheese baked into jammy goodness that’s the base for a delicious pasta dish.
Baked Feta Pasta
If you are on Tik Tok, you may have seen this viral recipe that started by a Finnish blogger. Let me tell you, it’s popular for good reason…it’s delicious! Truly, I haven’t enjoyed eating a pasta dish this much in months. This is probably due to the feta cheese – I am a HUGE feta fan! Anyone else?
If you are used to only seeing it sprinkled on a Greek salad, this baked feta pasta is about to open up a whole world of possibility for you. The feta adds a creamy, salty, cheesy base that compliments the sweet cherry tomatoes perfectly.
Tips for the Best Baked Feta Pasta with Roasted tomatoes:
- Small baking dish: make sure to bake the tomatoes and feta in a baking dish small enough where the ingredients are snug together, this ensures that they don’t burn but instead cook evenly in oil into a delicious confit. If you have a 6-quart dutch oven, that will work as well.
- Choose sweet cherry tomatoes: the balance between the sweet tomatoes and the salty, creamy feta is what really makes this cherry tomato pasta spectacular. Don’t choose grape tomatoes as they are not as sweet as the cherry variety!
- Use full-fat feta cheese: the fat adds creaminess and flavor, so go for full fat if possible.
- Crumbled Feta: if all you have is crumbled feta, not a block of feta (it has disappeared from the shelves in many places), just pile it up in the middle and you’re ready to make the best baked feta pasta.
- Olive oil: it might look like this recipe calls for a lot of oil (1/2 a cup) but this is part of what makes this recipe this good! Reduce the amount at your own risk 😀
- Red Pepper Flakes: the original recipe calls for red chile peppers, but I used red pepper flakes because that’s all I had and it worked well.
- Use pasta with ridges or groves: since the baked feta sauce is the best part of this recipe you want pasta that will collect the sauce in its crevices and groves.
- Add greens: feta and cherry tomatoes work well with basil, spinach, parsley, or even arugula. Add any of them for a delicious pop of flavor and color.
Recipe at a Glance: How to make Roasted Tomato Pasta
For detailed recipe instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Add chopped onions, garlic cloves, dried herbs, pepper, part of the oil to a baking dish and toss together.
- Add feta cheese to the middle and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake until golden in color, then press with a fork or spatula to make a paste.
- Add cooked pasta and mix.
- Top with parsley or basil and enjoy!
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe with precise ingredient amounts.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Fluffy Gnocchi
- Sausage Pepper Fettuccine Skillet
- Pasta in Sweet Cream Cheese Sauce
Baked Feta Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
This roasted tomato pasta is swirled with a block of feta cheese for the most flavorful dinner ever!
Ingredients
- 8 oz feta cheese (full fat is best)
- 16 oz cherry tomatoes (the sweeter the better)
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (for heat)
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 8 - 16 oz pasta of choice (use less pasta for more creamy sauce) (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup chopped basil or chopped parsley
Instructions
Bake the Feta & Tomatoes
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Preheat the oven to 465F° with the baking rack in the middle.
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In a 7"x10" baking dish (or something similar size) toss together 16 oz of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 a chopped onion, 5-6 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, black pepper and most of the olive oil (reserve about 1-2 tablespoons).
Then, add the 8 oz block of feta cheese in the middle and sprinke with the remainder of the olive oil.
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Bake uncovered for about 25-35 minutes depending on how much browinng you like on the tomatoes. The tomatoes should be well golden-brown and soft, and the feta cheese nice and melty soft. If everything starts to brown too fast, turn down the heat slightly.
Cook the pasta
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season it with salt generously, and cook the pasta in the water until al dente.
Resrve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
Combine Baked feta with Pasta
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Once the feta and the tomatoes are baked, mash the baked feta and tomatoes into a smooth mixture, then add the drained pasta and keep stirring until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Mix in some pasta water if the pasta seems dry.
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Lastly, stir in the chopped parsley or basil and serve.
Another great option would be a couple of handfuls of arugula or spinach. Add them together with the warm pasta and stir them in for a delightful addition of flavor and nutrition.
Recipe Notes
- Note 1: Calorie count indicated for the recipe is if you use 8 oz of dry pasta.
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Marina | Let the Baking Begin
I find the feta flavor to strong for my palate so I substitute cream cheese laced with fresh herbs. Now I have the right flavor for the sauce.
This has become one of my go-to recipes when I don’t know what to make. It is so easy and flavorful, and can be made with endless variations! I’ve substituted quinoa and rice for the pasta, as well as added Italian sausage, chicken, or shrimp, and I usually add some veggies – and it’s delicious every time.
I saw you post this awhile back and was instantly intrigued, but only tried it out today, finally. I really like it! I felt so fancy, and the house smelled so good. 🙂
This recipe was AMAZING! I will be sharing this with everyone I know. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
One question, if the leftovers get dry what do you suggest I add to it to moisten it up again?
I loved this recipe so much that I told everyone I know about it. I had a lot leftovers so I sautéed some shrimp in olive oil and garlic and added it to the reheated dish. I’m making it again today and plan to add the shrimp once more. I’m sautéing them separately because I’m afraid they would become tough if I cooked them with the feta and tomatoes. Do you agree?
Thank you so much! Makes my day hearing reviews like that!
I agee about the shrimp. Unless you wanted to sprinkle it over the tomatoes the last 10 minutes or baking.
But, if I was going on through the trouble of sautéing I would also dredge the shrimp in flour and seasoning before pan frying which allows the flour to crisp up and add a lot more flavor to the shrimp that way. What do you think of this idea?
Very easy to make. Added a few wedges of lemon to the tomatoes at beginning to cut some of that richness, worked like a charm. Chucked in a bunch of spinach at the end along with some sausages to finish it off and wow. it was rich, creamy, filling and extremely easy to make. I tweaked the recipe with extra seasonings to suit my taste preference and voila.. the perfect after work, lazy pasta!
I just made this recipe. I only had sweet onion and queso fresco. It’s so delicious. I’ll have to get some feta next time. Thanks for the recipe. It’s going to be a regular.
I’d give this recipe a “10”!!!! So so very easy!!!
I’ve never made a pasta dish like this with Feta.
To me, this is better than a restaurant quality dish!!!! It will be my new go to pasta dish. It was yummy!!!!
Thank you for this recipe!!!!
Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback! Appreciate it!
This turned out absolutely awesome! Such great flavors and EASY! Thank you for sharing this recipe & making me look like a real chef!!!!
haha, love hearing this! Thanks Diane!
I have a question. I have a lot of regular tomatoes from my garden. Can those be used instead of cherry tomatoes? If so, would I just cut them into quarters?
Thanks
Hi Cindi,
This recipe best works with cherry tomatoes, but if you’d like to use regular tomatoes I’d cut them into 1 inch chunks and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Thank you, I am going to try it with regular tomatoes.
I thought I would give an update.
I tried it with regular tomatoes. I peeled them and cut them in 1-2 inch chunks. It is delicious with the regular tomatoes. I will be making it again since we have an abundance of tomatoes now.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much for the update! now, we know 😀
I’ve made it today. I reduced feta a little as it seemed to me it could be too salty and didn’t add spices bec wanted to do it later. It was delicious at first – pure taste of tomatoes (resembled me my grandma’s tomatoe soup she used to make when I was little ❤️) – but then I wanted to have a smooth sauce and blended it all together which spoiled the whole taste… Can’t fix it now even with spices… But lesson learnt – > crush tomatoes with fork, don’t blend it ☝️ will try it again in some time
This recipe looks so delicious. I rarely cook but I am going out today to get the pasta, already have the cheese and the tomatoes and making it tonight. I will definitely let you know how it turns out can’t wait to taste it.
I hope you love it!
So I have made this recipe about five times, for some reason each time I make it, it tastes a little different but each time it is so amazing! I follow the recipe exactly how it’s written, I love the little spiciness that you get from the chili flakes. I also make the lowest recommended amount of pasta, because the sauce is the best part! I like to use noodles that have a lot of surface area like Campanelli or macaroni. I find that this works best to pick up all of the flavor. This is the best feta tomato recipe that I found! Every single person asked me for the recipe, and I told them that this is the only one they should use!
Oh Catie, you made my day with your comment! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. Comments like yours are why I love sharing my recipes!
I was out with friends yesterday who had made and raved about this pasta dish. Of course I had to come home and make it. Had all the ingredients. I used grape tomatoes which I always find sweet and lots of red pepper flakes. Wow. Delicious. Don’t make any changes to recipe. It will be worth it! Thx Marina
Can this recipe be adapted to the stovetop? I want to make it at my camper but I don’t have an oven.
Hi Tracy, I haven’t made it on a stovetop but if I was to try I would use a skillet to slowly, over low heat cook the tomatoes with onion, garlic, spices in the oil, then when the tomatoes have mostly softened up added the feta cheese and allowed it to melt. Then stir to combine into a sauce. Add pasta and stir again.
Again, I haven’t done this, but if I did that is how I would make it.
Can I use sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes? Thanks 🙂
Hi Bella, sun dried tomatoes would give a completely different taste and texture, I wouldn’t use anything other than regular fresh tomatoes.
Yeah, you’re right! I ended up making this recipe a couple days ago with no alterations and it was amazing. Thanks 🙂
I add 3 oz of sun dried tomatoes to the dish before baking. I mix them up with the other tomatoes. I also have added shallots instead of the other onions. I don’t think it would taste very good without the cherry tomatoes. I’m going to try grape tomatoes tonight since that’s what they had in stock at my local store.
I’m going to make this tonight. I have a 9×13 baking dish or a 6 quart Dutch oven, which would be better?
Hi Olga I’d go with a 6 quart dutch oven, you want the tomatoes to be touching and to be dipped in oil, otherwise the tomatoes tend to burn and the whole “confit tomatoes” idea doesn’t happen.
Is it good to eat the base just as an appetizer with crackers?
Hi Halyna,
I haven’t tried it, so can’t tell you for sure, but I’d add a drizzle of honey bit I was to try.
Question, do I leave room in the center for the block of feta? Or do i place feta directly on the tomatoes in the center?
Thanks and looking forward to trying this!
You leave place for the feta so that the cheese is resting directly on the baking dish and not the tomatoes. Make sure all or your tomatoes are snuggly together so that they don’t burn and instead are roasting in the oil and their juices.
So I used fat free crumbled feta and about 2 and half tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, eyeballed the dried oregano and dried basil, baked at 400 for about 35 min, and I omitted the red pepper flakes. used fresh parsley as garnish. let me say WOW. it was very good, the cheese didn’t really melt that well but that was expected since I used fat free and with it being crumbled. I was going for a healthier route. I really didn’t see the need to add 1/2 a cup of olive oil…it just seemed like a lot of fat. so I reduced it and I’m glad I did. The tomatoes released a lot of liquid and I didn’t use the reserved pasta water I saved. although next time I might just to try it. Definitely will be making this again!
Hi Jane! So glad to hear you liked it! Thank you for such thorough review!
Thank you for mentioning the crumbles! I am very limited on what I can find in my area so all I could find were the crumbles.
Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Thank you for your review!
Love it !
This sound delicious. I’m going to try it tomorrow night. How do we feel about adding artichoke hearts? I have half a jar that I need to use ASAP and thought it might be good to throw them in, but not sure if I should roast them with everything else, add them later or just toss them in at the very end. Thoughts?
I’m thinking artichoke harts sound like they can be just mixed in at the end with pasta.
Such an easy recipe to follow!! Also super delicious!!
Thank you, Diana!❤️
Oh my, just looking at this recipe makes my mouth watering ! Can’t wait to get home and make it!
Thank you so much, hope you love it when you try it!
Delicious & so easy to put together! Recommend this yummy recipe, my kids asked for seconds & thirds
I love hearing that! Thank you for your comment and star rating! ❤️
This looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try!
Thank you, Ilona!
Looks so delicious! So excited to jump on this craze of a recipe that’s all over social media right now! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Elina!
I heard it’s really good with zucchini noodles too
Such a yummy recipe, highly recommend it!!!
Thank you, so much, Emily!
Looks delicious!!!
Thank you, Alla! Hope you give it a try ❤️❤️❤️
I can’t found blocks feta, can I use crumbled instead?
Yes, just pile the crumbled feta in the middle of tomatoes and it’s good to go.
Thank you for the Amazing recipe !! My husband loves dishes with tomato in it , so this is the bomb! He tried it and he loved it!
Thank you, Yana!