Baked Feta & Tomato Pasta with Basil

I first heard about this spectacularly easy viral pasta dish from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. I think I was the last to know… My daughter has seen countless people make it on TikTok, of course. 😉 She was absolutely thrilled to make it with me!

The original recipe is called “Uunifetapasta,” created by the Finnish blogger Jenni Häyrinen. The foundation of the dish is a block of feta placed in the center of a baking dish surrounded by seasoned tomatoes. After being baked, the cheese and burst tomatoes are combined to create a creamy and delicious sauce to serve over pasta. Deb Perelman incorporated chickpeas in her version- nice.

This version from the Washington Post, contributed by Aaron Hutcherson, recommended using Greek sheep’s milk feta to maximize the creaminess. I used an enameled cast iron baking pan, modified the proportions and incorporated za’atar to the seasoning on the tomatoes prior to baking. It was super creamy and tasty- and as simple and easy to prepare as expected.

Yield: Serves 6

• 3 pints (750 to 800 g) grape or cherry tomatoes
• 5 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
• 8 T (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 block (10.5 oz) Greek feta cheese
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• za’atar, to taste, optional
• 17 to 18 oz medium-length dried pasta, such as campanile, rigatoni, or rotini (I used Gigli)
• fresh basil leaves, for serving

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and 6 tablespoons of the olive oil. (I used an enameled cast iron baking pan.)
3. Sprinkle the tomatoes with some salt and toss to coat. Sprinkle with za’atar, if using.
4. Place the feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes and garlic, top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle the entire dish with red pepper flakes and a little black pepper.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the garlic has softened and the tomatoes have burst their skins.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
7. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the feta and tomatoes with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.
8. Mix the sauce with pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed if it looks a little dry. (I incorporated quite a bit of pasta water.)
9. To serve, top with plenty of basil leaves.