Baked Feta Pasta

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 blends creamily with robust pasta.

Truly one of the most “main dish” side dishes you will make, this easily doubles as a no-meat meal.

Many rumors 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 around on the FYP for several 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—it’s an amazingly simple and beautiful dish.

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 Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed 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 the oven to 400 degrees. Using a casserole dish or coated cast iron pan (as shown), add 2 pints of grape tomatoes to the dish.

Place one block of feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the entire dish with kosher or sea salt and 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 went viral due to TikTok sharing it left and right. Easy to make and so rich and delicious, the tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese make this baked feta pasta worthwhile.

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 1/3 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 end of a dish. Personally, I do both. I love how basil gets dark and retains some of its salt. As it heats, it loses some of the smell and bold taste it originally had and enhances the cooking of the tomatoes.

No, it won’t stay bright green like raw leaves, but it mixes up beautifully and accounts for some of the richness in the flavor. That being said, it’s totally unnecessary to add 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 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves sprinkled over the dish work great.

What is the best way to serve Feta Pasta?

Baked feta pasta is super rich, so I consider this a side dish (much like Cavatappi at Carrabba’s Italian Grill). You could certainly add a baked chicken to it or to the recipe to convert it 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 cheese on each pasta bite, which is fine when discussing a tart and tangy flavor set like this.

That being said, there is something about the restaurant quality thick and rich taste that LESS pasta gives you. Start with half of the cooked pasta and slowly add it until you get the desired consistency.

Is there a substitute for Feta cheese?

Feta has 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 between the two is simply their 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 in 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 or asparagus-stuffed chicken.

Bake those Tomatoes, Baby!

Place the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.

While tomatoes and feta cheese are being cooked, it’s time to make pasta. I like round, curly-cue kinds of pasta. 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.

Another pasta that gives a good surface for big flavors is rotini (another round pasta), bow ties (also used in this pesto pasta salad), and thick noodles like fettuccini.

Combine Pasta and Baked Feta

Once the timer goes off, remove the tomatoes and cheese from the oven. You will notice that the tomatoes are cooked and fragrant; if basil is 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, ensuring 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 it’s 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 everyone has their eye on!

Check out Creamy Spaghetti, tiktok baked ziti with ricotta, slow cooker olive garden chicken, or Gigi Hadid Pasta.