My friend Lisa grabbed my arm at the farmer's market last spring. "You gotta try this pasta thing I made last night. Completely changed my dinner game."She was buying feta and three containers of cherry tomatoes. I asked what she was making. She laughed. "That's it. Well, plus pasta and olive oil. Sounds dumb but just try it."I didn't believe her. Too simple. But Johnny was home that afternoon whining about dinner, so whatever. Grabbed the same stuff on my way out. Hour later Johnny and I were scraping the pan. This feta tomato pasta is ridiculously easy and tastes fancy. The feta melts into sauce.
Why You'll Love This Feta Tomato Pasta
From making this probably a hundred times since Lisa told me about it, I know exactly why it beats regular pasta nights. The Feta Tomato Pasta creates this creamy sauce without needing cream or milk or any weird thickeners. You control how garlicky it gets, how much red pepper heat, and nobody's judging if you want to dump in extra tomatoes. And the whole thing happens in one baking dish plus a pasta pot - way less cleanup than most dinners.
Johnny asks for "the melty cheese pasta" at least once a week now. Made it when his soccer team came over after practice and six kids demolished an entire pan in minutes. Brought it to a potluck and three different people texted me asking how to make it. The leftovers actually taste good cold straight from the fridge, which Johnny discovered when he ate it for breakfast one Saturday.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Feta Tomato Pasta
- Ingredients You'll for Feta Tomato Pasta
- How To Make Feta Tomato Pasta Step By Step
- Smart Ingredient Swaps
- Tasty Ways to Make Feta Tomato Pasta Different
- Equipment for Feta Tomato Pasta
- Storing Your Feta Tomato Pasta
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Easiest Viral Recipe Ever
- Related
- Pairing
- Feta Tomato Pasta
Ingredients You'll for Feta Tomato Pasta
For the Baked Feta Tomato Pasta:
- 1 block (8 ounces) feta cheese, not crumbled
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces short pasta
- 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
For Serving and Extras:
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Lemon zest from 1 lemon
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Extra red pepper flakes
- Drizzle of balsamic glaze
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled
- 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cooked bacon pieces
How To Make Feta Tomato Pasta Step By Step
Prepare the Baking Dish
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grab a 9x13 inch baking dish
- Place feta block in the center of the dish
- Scatter cherry tomatoes all around the feta, filling the pan
- Add smashed garlic cloves tucked between tomatoes
Season and Drizzle Everything
- Pour olive oil evenly over the tomatoes and feta block
- Sprinkle salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes across everything
- Make sure tomatoes are well coated with oil for even roasting
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until tomatoes burst and feta softens
Cook the Pasta While Baking
- Bring large pot of salted water to rolling boil
- Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente
- Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining
- Drain pasta but don't rinse it
Mix It All Together
- Remove baking dish from oven when tomatoes are bursting and feta is soft
- Add drained hot pasta directly to the baking dish
- Use wooden spoon or tongs to mash feta and mix everything vigorously
- Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce reaches creamy consistency
- Stir in fresh basil and lemon zest
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed
- Serve immediately while hot and creamy
Smart Ingredient Swaps
Cheese Options:
- Goat cheese instead of feta (tangier and creamier)
- Cream cheese instead of feta (milder flavor)
- Boursin instead of feta (herb-flavored and rich)
- Ricotta instead of feta (less salty, sweeter)
Tomato Changes:
- Grape tomatoes instead of cherry (same result)
- Regular diced tomatoes instead of cherry (add 5 minutes baking time)
- Sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh (more intense flavor)
- Canned cherry tomatoes instead of fresh (works in winter)
Pasta Swaps:
- Penne instead of rigatoni (classic choice)
- Shells instead of penne (holds sauce well)
- Fusilli instead of shells (spiral catches everything)
- Gluten-free pasta instead of regular (use rice or chickpea based)
Oil Alternatives:
- Avocado oil instead of olive oil (higher smoke point)
- Butter instead of olive oil (richer taste)
- Mix of butter and olive oil (best of both)
Garlic Adjustments:
- Garlic powder instead of fresh (use 1 teaspoon)
- More garlic cloves if you love garlic (Lisa uses eight)
- Roasted garlic instead of raw (sweeter, milder)
- Skip garlic completely if you hate it (still good)
Tasty Ways to Make Feta Tomato Pasta Different
Chicken Feta Pasta Version:
- Add 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast on top of feta before baking
- Creates a complete protein-packed meal in one dish
- The chicken soaks up tomato and garlic flavors while heating through
- Perfect for meal prep or feeding hungry teenagers after sports practice
Spinach and Artichoke Twist:
- Stir in 2 cups fresh spinach and 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts after baking
- The heat from pasta wilts spinach perfectly without overcooking
- Adds vegetables and turns this into a more complete dinner
- Johnny actually eats spinach this way without complaining
Spicy Italian Style:
- Add 1 pound cooked crumbled Italian sausage and extra red pepper flakes
- Use hot Italian sausage if you want serious heat
- Creates heartier meal that feeds more people
- My husband's favorite version for game day
Lemon Herb Fresh:
- Double the lemon zest and add fresh thyme sprigs to the baking dish
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over finished pasta before serving
- Brightens everything up and cuts through richness
- Perfect for spring and summer when you want lighter flavors
Equipment for Feta Tomato Pasta
- 9x13 inch baking dish (glass or ceramic)
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula for mixing
- Colander for draining pasta
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storing Your Feta Tomato Pasta
Refrigerator Storage (3-4 Days):
- Cool completely before storing
- Transfer to airtight container
- Keep sauce and pasta mixed together
- Reheat on stovetop with splash of water or milk
- Stovetop works best over medium-low heat
- Add tablespoon of water or olive oil to loosen sauce
- Microwave works but stir every 30 seconds
- Don't overheat or feta gets grainy
Freezer Storage (Not Recommended):
- Feta texture changes and gets crumbly
- Tomatoes become mushy when thawed
- Pasta absorbs too much sauce
- Better to make fresh each time
Make-Ahead Options:
- Wash and dry tomatoes night before
- Measure out ingredients in advance
- Cook pasta earlier and toss with olive oil
- Bake feta and tomatoes, add fresh pasta when serving
Top Tip
- Johnny figured out the best trick with this pasta completely by accident. He was helping me one night and dumped a whole handful of fresh basil into the baking dish before it went in the oven instead of after like I always do. I told him we messed it up. He shrugged and said let's just see what happens.
- Those baked basil leaves got crispy around the edges and infused everything with way more flavor than adding them at the end. The oils from the basil mixed into the tomato juice while it cooked. When we stirred everything together, little crispy basil bits were everywhere. Now I always throw half the basil in before baking and save half for the end. You get two different basil flavors - the deep baked kind and the fresh bright kind. People always ask what makes ours taste different from the regular recipe.
- Our other discovery was pure laziness. One night I was too tired to boil pasta separately. Dumped dry pasta right into the baking dish with the Feta Tomato Pasta. Added two cups of water. Covered with foil. Baked for 45 minutes instead of 30. It worked. Pasta cooked right in all that tomato juice and feta. One less pot to wash. Absorbed all the flavor while cooking. Been doing it that way half the time ever since.
FAQ
Who came up with the viral Feta Tomato Pasta?
Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen originally posted this baked feta pasta recipe on her blog in 2019. It stayed pretty quiet until early 2021 when it exploded on TikTok and everyone started making it. MacKenzie Smith from Grilled Cheese Social posted her version on TikTok in February 2021 and it went completely viral - like millions of views viral. Suddenly grocery stores couldn't keep Feta Tomato Pasta cheese in stock.
Is feta and tomato pasta healthy?
Depends on what you call healthy. You're getting tomatoes which have lycopene and vitamins. Olive oil is good fats. Feta Tomato Pasta has protein and calcium. Pasta gives you carbs for energy. But you're also eating a block of cheese and a third cup of oil, so it's not exactly diet food. I make it healthier by using whole wheat pasta, going light on the olive oil, and loading up extra vegetables like spinach or zucchini.
What can I do with Feta Tomato Pasta?
Besides this pasta, tons of stuff. Toss them together for a quick salad with cucumbers and olives. Make a Mediterranean omelette with them for breakfast. Roast them on pizza dough for flatbread. Stuff them in chicken breasts before baking. Mix them into scrambled eggs. Put them on toast with avocado. Johnny likes them mixed into rice bowls with grilled chicken.
What pasta shape is best for Feta Tomato Pasta?
Short tubular shapes work best because they catch all that creamy sauce inside. Penne and rigatoni are my top picks. Shells are great too because they scoop up sauce. Farfalle works if that's what you have. I tried it once with spaghetti and it was wrong - long noodles don't grab the sauce the same way. Rotini is decent because the spirals hold sauce.
Easiest Viral Recipe Ever
Now you know everything to make perfect feta tomato pasta from Lisa's original tip to Johnny's basil discovery. This proves viral recipes sometimes actually deserve the hype.
Want more easy weeknight winners? Try our Healthy Chicken And Noodles Recipe for another Mediterranean comfort dish with creamy layers. Our Delicious Crab And Shrimp Stuffed Salmon Recipe gives you juicy protein every time with minimal effort. Need something faster? The Best Marry Me Shrimp Recipe cooks in ten minutes and pairs great with this pasta.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Feta Tomato Pasta
Feta Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven and prepare baking dish with feta, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.
- Roast tomatoes and feta until soft, golden, and bursting with flavor.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and reserve water.
- Mix pasta with baked feta and tomatoes, adding pasta water to create creamy sauce.
- Stir in basil and lemon zest, season to taste, and serve hot with toppings.
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