With over 1 billion views, this viral TikTok feta pasta is one of the world’s most successful food trends. Now that I’ve tried it, I can see why!
This hearty dish combines roasted tomatoes, al dente pasta, and fresh basil in a creamy feta sauce. Easy to make, and even easier to love.
TikTok Baked Feta Pasta
I’m always on the lookout for new food hacks and trends. And TikTok is a fantastic source for new recipe ideas and cooking techniques.
Once you get past the silly dances and scary challenges, it’s a treasure trove of chefs and food bloggers sharing all their best tips and tricks.
This TikTok baked feta pasta recipe was first shared in 2018 by Tiiu Piret on her blog. But it wasn’t until a year later that it took off.
In 2019, Jenni Hayrinen shared her own version of the dish on TikTok, where it became a massive hit.
And let’s just say it went viral for good reason.
At first glance, this TikTok pasta appears almost too simple. But don’t be fooled! It’s creamy, savory, and undeniably delicious.
Perfect for a quick weeknight meal but also impressive enough for guests.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Bowtie Pasta. Choose any shape or size you like. The only thing that matters is that you cook the noodles to a perfect al dente.
- 8 oz Block of Feta Cheese. A whole block of feta is the best option. Crumbled feta is fine in a pinch, but it doesn’t melt as well.
- 20 oz Cherry Tomatoes. Only use fresh! Grape tomatoes are fine, too. However, don’t be afraid to use old, wilted tomatoes — I actually like them more because they’re sweeter.
- 4 Garlic Cloves. Fresh garlic only, please. Now’s not the time to use the powdered kind.
- 1/4 cup Basil. Again, fresh is best.
- 1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes. For just a little bit of a kick. Add as little or as much as your taste buds can handle.
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The original recipe calls for regular olive oil, but trust me, EVOO is way better.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste. I suggest tasting the whole dish first since the feta cheese adds a lot of salt. You may find you don’t need any extra.
How to Make Baked Feta Pasta
There are only a few steps for this pasta dish, which is why it’s so popular.
1. Toss together tomatoes, olive oil, and salt in a baking dish.
Be very generous with the olive oil. You want the tomatoes to swim in it!
2. Add a block of feta in the middle.
Then, drizzle it with some more olive oil. Top with red pepper flakes if you like heat.
3. Roast the feta and tomatoes.
You’ll do this in a 400-degree-Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. That high heat is essential!
Then, crank up the heat to 450 and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. The goal is for the tomatoes to burst!
4. Cook the pasta al dente.
Follow the package instructions, but remove from heat 1 minute before the prescribed cooking time.
The pasta will continue to soften once it gets tossed in the sauce. Drain well, but reserve some pasta water for the sauce.
5. Stir the garlic and basil into the roasted feta and tomatoes.
Do this immediately after taking the baking dish out of the oven. The container needs to be warm enough to cook off the garlic’s raw edge.
6. Toss the pasta and sauce together.
You should be able to do this in the dish. But if it has shallow sides, carefully add everything into a bowl to mix.
Add some reserved pasta water if the sauce is too dry.
7. Taste the dish; then season with salt and pepper if needed.
As I said, feta is pretty salty. That means you might not need extra salt.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful TikTok Pasta Tips and Tricks
- Use a tall 9×13 baking dish. The tomatoes should cook in a single layer. I like to use a dish with tall sides. That way, the feta and tomatoes can cook properly, and I can stir everything without it spilling out.
- Be generous with the olive oil. It’s the key to making the sauce incredibly rich and thick. This also ensures the tomatoes don’t dry out.
- Cook the pasta al dente. This is very important for this dish! Take the pasta out of the boiling water a minute before the suggested cooking time for the best texture.
- Sync pasta readiness with feta and tomatoes. The pasta should be ready when the feta and tomatoes are. This way, the pasta is still warm and won’t clump together when it’s time to toss it in the sauce.
- Use fresh ingredients for best flavor. For example, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. The same goes for basil and garlic. Use extra virgin olive oil, as well. It tastes so much better than regular olive oil.
- Avoid low-fat feta. It doesn’t melt well. It also won’t taste as rich.
- Fix tart sauce with sugar. You can also add sliced onions or shallots to the baking dish and roast them together with feta and tomatoes. This will caramelize the onions and sweeten the sauce.
Variations
- There’s no perfect shape of pasta here. Bowtie, ritatoni, campanelle, rotini, and penne are all great options.
- Use crumbled feta as a last resort. Crumbled feta has a powdery coating that tastes off. Also, blocked feta holds up better to roasting.
- Swap feta for goat cheese or cream cheese. These cheeses’ creaminess is perfect for making a thick, luscious sauce.
- Add more herbs for more flavor. Tomatoes and basil are a classic combo, but feel free to experiment with other herbs, too. Thyme, scallions, chives, rosemary, parsley, and oregano all make fine options.
- Use vegan feta to make vegan pasta. Don’t add it until the last 5-10 minutes of baking; otherwise, the cheese will splatter all over the oven.
- Make it heartier with protein. Anything from tofu and bacon to chicken and ground beef works well.
- Want to make it healthier? Add veggies like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, and/or artichoke hearts to the dish.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Applebee’s Three Cheese Chicken Penne
Meatless Baked Ziti
Old-Fashioned Hamburger Casserole
Want to try more TikTok recipes? Check out this list!
TikTok Baked Feta Pasta (Easy Recipe)
6
servings5
minutes40
minutesThis TikTok pasta is insanely delicious and simple to make. Just toss cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and a block of feta in a baking dish.
Ingredients
1 pound bowtie pasta
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 pints (20 oz) cherry tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To a baking dish, add tomatoes, olive oil, and salt; toss to coat.
- Place the feta in the center of the dish and drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 5-10 more minutes, or until the feta has browned and the tomatoes have blistered.
- While baking, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the noodles but save some pasta water for the sauce (about 1 cup).
- Once cooked, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir in the garlic and basil. The residual heat will warm the garlic and take out its raw edge.
- Toss in the pasta. Add pasta water if the sauce is too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute any pasta variety for bowtie pasta.
Nutrition
- Calories: 553kcal
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Protein: 17.6g
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 27mg
- Sodium: 444mg
- Potassium: 152mg
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Sugar: 8.1g
- Calcium: 131mg
- Iron: 4mg
I just had my family over this weekend and tried this very recipe, and it was a crowd-pleaser. I BBQ’d some chicken on the side to accompany the dish but it’s definitely one I will be making again soon. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you liked it! It’s one of my favorites, too.