Baked Feta Pasta Basil (Printable Version)

A creamy pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes, melted feta cheese, and aromatic fresh basil.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes, whole
02 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

03 - 7 oz feta cheese block

→ Pasta

04 - 10 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)

→ Oils & Condiments

05 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

→ Herbs & Seasonings

07 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus extra for pasta water
09 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss thoroughly to coat.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the dish, nestling it among the tomatoes. Drizzle the top of the feta with a little additional olive oil.
04 - Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have burst and released their juices, and the feta has turned golden brown on top and softened.
05 - While the cheese roasts, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a spoon to mash the feta and roasted tomatoes together until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.
07 - Add the drained pasta and half of the fresh basil leaves to the baking dish. Toss everything together vigorously, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a glossy, coating consistency.
08 - Plate the pasta immediately and garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The oven does most of the work while you pour a drink and actually relax for thirty minutes.
  • One block of cheese transforms into a silky, complex sauce that tastes like you labored over it all afternoon.
  • It comes together in under an hour and somehow tastes better than restaurant pasta.
02 -
  • Don't skip mashing the feta—that broken texture is what transforms simple roasted tomatoes into a proper sauce.
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining; it's starchy and works like magic to create silky consistency without added cream.
03 -
  • Buy feta as a block rather than crumbled—it holds together just enough to create that creamy center while still breaking down into sauce.
  • Don't rush the roasting; the extra heat develops flavors that raw preparation simply cannot match.

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