Looking for the baked feta pasta with tomatoes from TikTok? This incredibly bold pasta side dish with baby salad tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, and fresh herbs and spices blend so creamily with robust pasta. Truly one of the most “main dish” side dish meals you will make, this easily doubles as a no meat meal.
Many rumor’s say that feta cheese was completely obliterated in Finland because of how popular this recipe is. While I don’t necessarily buy all that marketing, the truth is that this dish is one of the better viral foods we have enjoyed and you should absolutely try it.
Where did the TikTok Baked Feta Pasta Recipe come from?
Before we get started, we must pay homage to the originator! This one may have been bouncing on the FYP for quite a few weeks (or maybe months before, you never know!) but made its way to TikTok to everyone’s delight.
The original recipe is here (This blog is not in English) and has been altered quite a few times and no wonder -its an amazingly simple dish and quite beautiful.
This recipe is the base recipe with a few of my own alterations (noted). I hope you love this recipe as much as we did!
TIKTOK FETA PASTA GROCERY LIST
Below are the ingredients to make this viral recipe. Incredibly creamy and rich, there is no doubt that this side can be eaten alone or paired with a light chicken breast dish. Please scroll to the bottom of the post for a printer friendly version of this with full step by step instructions.
- 2 pints of salad tomatoes (grape or cherry) – grape tomatoes tend to be smaller than cherry tomatoes and work best, or for some beautiful extra flavor and color, try Wild Wonders Gourmet tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Clove
- Fresh basil bunch
- 8 oz. block of feta cheese
- kosher salt
- cracked pepper
- pasta – I recommend Cavatappi
Prep Tomatoes & Feta
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a casserole dish or coated cast iron pan (as shown) add 2 pints of grape tomatoes into dish.
Place one block of feta cheese direction in the center of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle entire dish with kosher or sea salt, black pepper and then drizzle with olive oil.
What is baked Feta Pasta?
This Greek Side dish was invented by a fellow food blogger and then went viral due to TikTok sharing it left and right. Easy to make, so rich and delicious, the tomatoes, basil and feta cheese make this baked feta pasta worth the make.
What is the best type of pasta to use in Baked Feta Pasta?
I have seen this recipe done with a variety of pasta types. Bowtie, cavatappi or even thick fettuccini are all great options.
How much Olive Oil Should you drizzle over the tomatoes?
May recreation TikTok Videos used as much as 1/2 cup of olive oil but I feel like that is totally unnecessary as tomatoes bake in the oven quite easily. I drizzle with love around the tomatoes and on the cheese, which is typically around 1/3rd cup or less of olive oil.
Do you add basil before or after baking?
Here is the thing with basil – there is a lot of reflection on whether basil should be added at the beginning or ending of a dish. Personally- I do both. I love how basil gets dark and retails some of that salt. As it heats it loses some smell and bold taste it originally had and enhances the cooking of the tomatoes.
No, it wont stay bright green like raw leaves, but mixes up beautifully and accounts for some of the richness in the flavor. That being said, its totally unnecessary to add at the oven portion of the dish, so I will leave that up to you. It is, however, important on the back end of the dish.
If you choose to add basil to be cooked, about 1/3rd chopped fresh basil leaves sprinkled over the dish works great.
What is the best way to serve Feta Pasta?
Baked feta pasta is super rich and so I consider this a side dish (much like Cavatappi at Carabba’s Italian Grill). You could certainly add a baked chicken with it or TO the recipe to convert to a full meal.
How much pasta should I add to this dish?
How much pasta you add is up to you. The more pasta, the thinner the sauce and chees eon each pasta bite, which is fine when you are talking about a tart and tangy flavor set like this.
That being said, there is something to about the restaurant quality thick and rich taste LESS pasta gives you. Start with half of the cooked pasta and slowly add more till you get desired consistency.
Is there a substitute for Feta Cheese?
Feta is a really strong taste and if you do not like feta cheese but still want to try a similar recipe, try a soft cheese like Ricotta mixed in. Additionally I personally think Goat Cheese might be a great addition.
The flavors of goat cheese are just as rich but less tart.
Should I use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes?
The main difference in the two is simply the shape and size. They are relatively interchangeable.
Must I use Olive Oil in this dish?
Olive oils are simply part of the food culture and help bring out the perfect flavor into this pasta dish. However, it is fine to use LESS olive oil than the original recipe calls for.
What main dish goes best with this dish?
Something light like a baked chicken breast or asparagus stuffed chicken.
Bake those Tomatoes, Baby!
Place dish in oven for 30 minutes.
While tomatoes and feta cheese are being cooked, its time to make pasta. I like round curly cue pastas. Cavatappi really retains all the melted cheese super well and lets the tomatoes cling to it, so for that reason, this is my pasta of choice.
Other pastas that give good surface for big flavors are rotini (another round pasta), bow ties (also used in this pesto pasta salad) and thick noodles like fettuccini.
Combine Pasta and Baked Feta
Once timer goes off, remove tomatoes and cheese from oven. You will notice that the tomatoes are cooked and fragrant, if basil was added there will be bits of black basil (try one, salty!).
At this point you really could stop and enjoy this tomato feta pasta without the pasta as just a dip…. scoop onto crustini…mmmmmmmmm. But for another time.
Toss in chopped garlic and about another 1/4th to 1/3rd chopped fresh basil leaves.
Stir in about half of the made pasta to start, making sure tomatoes and cheese get mixed in.
Once the pasta is incorporated, add the rest of the pasta and stir.
Optionally a bit more cracked pepper on top.
Serve while hot!
There is no doubt that this is one tiktok viral recipe we are seriously enjoying!
What other TikTok Pasta Dishes are great to try?
We have certainly done our fair share of testing out the most popular dishes that everyone has their eye on!
Check out tiktok baked ziti with ricotta, slow cooker olive garden chicken or Gigi Hadid Pasta.
Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes (TikTok Viral!)
Ingredients
- 2 pints Grape Tomatoes
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2-3 chopped Garlic Cloves
- Fresh basil bunch - about 1/3rd cup, see notes
- 8 oz. block of feta cheese
- kosher salt
- cracked pepper
- 8 oz. box of pasta - I recommend Cavatappi
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pour in 2 pints of cherry tomatoes into casserole dish.
- Place feta cheese block in center of tomatoes.
- Sprinkle tomatoes and cheese with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper.
- Drizzle olive oil around dish, approximately 1/3rd cup, going over tomatoes and cheese. Its fine to use a little more or a little less.
- OPTIONALLY add 1/3rd cup fresh basil leaves - please read article about adding basil leaves prior to baking.
- Place in oven on 400 for 30 minutes.
- Move on to boiling pasta al dente according to box. I recommend Cavatappi, however other pastas can be used.
- Carefully remove dish after 30 minutes. Tomatoes should be popped and cooked, cheese should be hot.
- Throw in chopped garlic. Add in freshly chopped basil leaves, about 1/4th-1/3rd cup, and mix.
- Pour in half of the cooked pasta into dish and stir, combining cheese, tomatoes and pasta.
- Stir in second portion of pasta and continue mixing.
- Serve while warm.
