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The whole family will love this TikTok pasta recipe. Combining salty feta and sweet and tangy tomatoes, this creamy baked feta pasta is so easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes.
The concept of pasta bake-style dishes isn’t new to me, and neither is baked feta or roasted cherry tomatoes. But this smart TikTok pasta recipe puts them all together to create a delicious, creamy, and comforting meal that’s so easy and quick to prepare. No wonder the idea went viral!
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What is TikTok pasta?
The Tiktok pasta trend seems to have been started by a Finish food blogger – Jenni Häyrinen. She called the dish Uuni feta pasta or baked feta pasta. It’s a simple recipe that requires practically no effort at all. The recipe involves baking a block of feta cheese surrounded by cherry tomatoes and garlic until it becomes creamy and flavorful. Then just mash that up into a creamy feta tomato pasta sauce, combine it with your favorite pasta, and enjoy your delicious dinner!
Watch how to make it
The ingredients
- Feta cheese: It’s best to use a block of feta though crumbled or cubed type will work too. Sheep’s milk feta will yield a smoother creamier sauce.
- Cherry tomatoes: Or grape tomatoes, or tomatoes of your choice. If using larger tomatoes, then cut them into wedges. Mix and match the tomatoes for different depths of flavor.
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta shapes, though I recommend short types.
- Olive oil: I love using extra-virgin olive oil.
- Seasonings: I used a combination of fresh basil, garlic, and black pepper (I don’t add salt as the feta is already salty enough).
How to make Tiktok pasta
Step 1: Prepare and bake: First, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Then, add the olive oil, minced garlic, and sliced basil to an oven-safe dish. In the center of the dish add the block of feta cheese and place the cherry tomatoes around it. Drizzle a little more oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Let the tomatoes and feta bake in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, as the tomatoes and feta bake, boil your pasta of choice according to its package instructions (or recipe instructions). Once cooked, drain the pasta but make sure to reserve around 1/2 cup of the pasta water. It will help the sauce adhere to the pasta (because of the starches in the pasta water).
Step 3: Assemble: When the baked feta and cherry tomatoes come out of the oven, mash them with a fork – this will make the tomato feta cheese pasta sauce. Alternatively, for a very smooth and creamy sauce, blend the tomatoes and feta. Add the pasta directly to the oven dish and stir well. Add a bit of the pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency. Serve the TikTok pasta hot and enjoy!
Recipe tips
- The baking dish: Choose an oven-safe dish that is “just” big enough for all the ingredients – this will ensure they’re all snuggled together and you get maximum flavor and juiciness.
- The pasta shapes: Any pasta shapes will work but I recommend short tube pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, macaroni, etc. – the sauce will adhere to them easily.
- Get creative with your flavors: While the feta and cherry tomato combination may be the original for this recipe, it’s certainly not the only one that will work with this cooking method. Switching up the type of cheese or the tomatoes can help you find your favorite combo. You also can add other herbs or even protein like chicken, pancetta, or tofu.
- Add pasta water: Adding pasta water to pasta sauce is key because it makes the sauce creamy and helps it stick to the pasta better, giving you that delicious saucy goodness in every bite!
More easy pasta recipes
If you try this baked feta pasta recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Best TikTok Pasta
Equipment
- Baking dish 9×13 inch
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta 2 cups uncooked; any pasta shapes (GF or not)
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes or tomatoes of your choice
- 7 oz feta cheese 1 block (not crumbled feta)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 coves garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 handful basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- Add the olive oil, minced garlic, and sliced basil to an oven-safe dish. In the center of the dish add the block of feta cheese and place the cherry tomatoes around it. Drizzle a little more oil and sprinkle with black pepper.
- Bake in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- As the tomatoes and feta bake, prepare your pasta of choice according to its package instructions (or recipe instructions). It usually needs to cook for about 10 minutes.
- Once the pasta is ready, drain the pasta but make sure to reserve around 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- When the feta and tomatoes come out of the oven, mash them with a fork to make the pasta sauce. Add a bit of the pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency.
- Add the pasta directly to the oven dish and stir well. Serve hot and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was very tasty. I fear I didn’t have the best feta but used what was available at the store. My dish was quite thick. But it was very, very tasty. I plan to add a fair amount of water or broth when I reheat to create a creamier sauce. Thank you for this recipe. I also plan to play with the ingredients in the future with red pepper and red onion mixed in. Since I had lots of fresh basil I used that instead of oregano.
Thank you for your comment, Donna. Glad you liked the recipe. You can add some of the pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. You can also blend it for a smoother texture or just mash it with a fork for more of a chunky consistency. Playing with the ingredients is always fun – I’m sure you will find the perfect blend for you!