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Baked Feta Pasta

Baked feta pasta with burst roasted cherry tomatoes and a golden block of feta stirred into a glossy, creamy sauce. This easy baked pasta dinner uses oven roasting for rich flavor and penne or rotini coated with creamy tomato-feta sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Feta cheese
  • 8 oz feta cheese 1 block
Cherry tomatoes
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes Use on-the-vine if possible
Olive oil
  • 1 3rd cup olive oil Plus extra for serving
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic Smash before baking
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 Salt and cracked black pepper To taste
Pasta
  • 12 oz penne or rotini pasta Cook in well-salted boiling water
Reserved pasta water
  • 1 cup Reserved pasta water Add as needed to loosen sauce
Fresh basil
  • 1 Fresh basil For serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Roast the feta and tomatoes
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the feta in the center of a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. Surround the feta with the cherry tomatoes and smashed garlic, then drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and cracked black pepper, distributing the tomatoes around the feta.
  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the feta is golden at the edges and the tomatoes burst and release their juices, visible as glossy tomato liquid in the pan.
Cook and finish the pasta
  1. While the feta bakes, cook the penne or rotini in well-salted boiling water until al dente.
  2. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water so you can adjust the sauce texture later.
  3. Use a fork to smash the baked feta and stir it into the roasted tomatoes until you get a creamy, glossy sauce, adding pasta water as needed.
  4. Add the cooked pasta and toss until fully coated, then drizzle with extra olive oil.
  5. Scatter fresh basil over the top, with the basil leaves bright and fresh-looking right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: smash the feta while the pan is hot so it emulsifies into the tomato juices quickly. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of reserved pasta water to restore creaminess. Freezing isn’t ideal due to texture changes in dairy and tomatoes. Dietary swap: use gluten-free penne/rotini if you need a gluten-free version.