If your local supermarket or deli has sold out of feta... the famous TikTok Pasta is to blame! This simple 6 ingredient creamy baked feta and tomato pasta has taken the entire world by storm... and it couldn't be easier to make!
Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, there's a very good chance you've heard about the TikTok pasta that EVERYONE is making right now.
It's a delicious and simple pasta dish that's made by baking a block of feta, cherry tomatoes and olive oil in the oven until soft and then mixing it all together with garlic, cooked pasta and fresh basil to create a creamy and full of BIG flavoured pasta that the whole family will love.
It even got 2 thumbs up from my 4 year old who asked for the same pasta the next day... which is absolutely unheard of, given my son has 0% interest in food!!
What is The TikTok Pasta Trend?
You don't need a TikTok account to make a big batch of this creamy and tomato-y baked feta pasta. In fact, all you need is 6 basic ingredients and a hungry tummy.
This pasta is all about zero effort and maximum taste. It's the BEST kind of comfort food - and it's going to become your new favourite pasta in no time.
So where did this tasty pasta come from? It wasn't TikTok...
A Finnish food blogger Jenny Hayrinen created this recipe in 2019 and called it Uunifetapasta... but after recently being shared on TikTok it's now it's gone completely VIRAL and is taking the pasta-loving world by storm!
You're Actually Going To LOVE This Recipe
Food fads come and go. Some are amazing and some are, well lets face it - terrible!
This pasta is firmly in the former group. It is hands-down one of the tastiest and easiest pastas you'll ever make.
- Midweek Meal - this meal (minus the cooking of the pasta) is done entirely in one baking dish! Add the tomatoes, oil and feta to the dish and then let the oven bake it to perfection.
- 5 Minutes Prep Time - with just 5 minutes active preparation time, you can sit back and relax while dinner cooks itself.
- Family-Friendly - from fussy little eaters (I have one, so take it from me!) to hungry teens, to adults... this pasta is a guaranteed winner! While it's bursting with BIG flavours (especially those oven-baked tomatoes), the flavour is mild enough to be loved by everyone.
- Versatile - stick to the classic feta and tomato combination like I have, or mix things up by adding some chorizo, pancetta, bacon, olives... whatever you like!
What You Need To Make Baked Feta Pasta - 6 Ingredients
If you go to your local supermarket and find that there's no feta there... you can blame this pasta going viral!!
Note: please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method.
Here's what you need:
- feta - choose a soft feta (like Danish) as it will bake to an oozy creamy deliciousness. Stick to full fat feta for the creamiest, most drool-worthy pasta.
- tomatoes - any variety of mini tomatoes will work beautifully - but remember, the sweeter - the better! When baked, the liquid from the tomatoes will seep out creating the main sauce ingredient when mixed with the baked feta. I used cherry tomatoes in this recipe.
- olive oil - this helps to roast the tomatoes, bake the feta until golden and creamy and then mix everything together to create the creamiest tomato sauce - YUM!
- garlic - you can use 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced or 2 teaspoons of store-bought minced garlic. Stirring it through the very hot baked tomatoes and feta will cook it perfectly and remove any 'raw' garlic flavour.
- pasta - it really doesn't matter what variety of pasta you choose - spaghetti, penne, macaroni, rigatoni, fettuccine, spirals, bows, shells... they all work great (I used rigatoni in this recipe).
- fresh basil - tomato and fresh basil are the basics of a classic Italian pasta - and when combined with the creamy feta, they're certainly a match made in heaven in this TikTok pasta.
Step By Step Instructions
This simple family dinner is going to take you just 5 minutes to prepare!
Note: please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method.
Coat The Tomatoes & Feta In Olive Oil
Place the cherry tomatoes into an oven baking dish, then add the feta to the middle of the dish.
Pour over the olive oil and toss the tomatoes to coat. Turn over the feta so that it is coated with olive oil on both sides.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake
Bake the dish until the tomatoes have burst, the feta is golden, soft and melting.
Add The Garlic
As soon as the tomatoes and feta have been removed from the oven, add the garlic and stir through. The heat will cook the garlic, giving your pasta a delicious smell and flavour.
Cook The Pasta
While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta according to the packet directions until al dente. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Stir
Once the garlic has been mixed through, continue to stir the tomatoes and feta until all of the feta has melted, creating a smooth and creamy sauce. The skins of the tomatoes will also fall off, while letting the juices mix with the feta... YUM! Leave the tomato skins in the dish as they are absolutely PACKED FULL of flavour and goodness.
Add The Pasta
Pour the cooked pasta into the dish and mix until the sauce has completely coated all of the pasta. If your sauce is too thick, add a little splash of the reserved pasta water and mix through.
Garnish With Basil
To complete this dish, sprinkle a few fresh basil leaves over the pasta and season with salt and pepper.
Expert Tips & Recipe FAQ
TikTok baked feta pasta is SO simple and fool-proof... but here's a few tips for getting it just right.
For the creamiest and smoothest sauce, use a soft feta made from sheep's milk (like Danish or French). The soft blocks in brine are the best type of feta to use - not the hard crumbly type. Avoid feta made from cow's milk as it's too firm and crumbly. Greek feta 'can' be used, however as it is firmer, your sauce will be slightly grainy. Soft Danish feta made from sheep's milk is the way to go!
You can substitute the feta for goats cheese or blue cheese. However, either will alter the flavour of the dish.
Many of the TikTok pasta recipes use 220g of feta. Personally, I recommend using 250g as it makes more of the creamy sauce (for me... 220g just isn't enough!!!)
Yes, absolutely! I recommend adding sliced chorizo, bacon or pancetta. Olives are also delicious in this recipe.
I would say that this is quite a mild flavoured dish. While the bursts of baked tomatoes give this pasta a boost of BIG flavour, overall the sauce is quite mild. This is the PERFECT pasta dish for kids (especially fussy ones!) as there's nothing at all offensive about the taste. If you are used to extra flavour, add some chorizo, salami, bacon or pancetta and some chilli and lemon zest or olives. For our family, the classic recipe was perfect (and got the tick of approval from Mr 4 too).
The sweeter the better! Choose in-season mini tomatoes for the ultimate sweetness. I used cherry tomatoes in this recipe, but Roma or grape tomatoes work great too. If you only have large tomatoes on hand, ensure you cut them into quarters before using.
In this recipe, I used rigatoni. Personally I love using pasta (like penne or rigatoni) where the creamy sauce gets stuck in the middle gaps giving you the most delicious bites of flavour. However, you can use any type of like - spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, spirals... whatever you have in the pantry.
One of the best things about this dish is that you need very little equipment to make it! Boil the pasta in a saucepan on a stovetop and bake the tomatoes and feta in a baking dish in the oven. There's no need to have a specific size or shape baking dish, as long as it's a medium to large size, it will be fine!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2 days.
Alternatively, freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Once you try TikTok baked feta pasta, you're going to be craving ALL those delicious carbs.
Here's a few more of my favourite pasta dishes:
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Ragu - let the crockpot do it's thing and create the most flavour-packed comfort food!
- Tuna Pasta Casserole - budget friendly and kid approved. The perfect family dinner.
- One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta - forget about doing ALL the dishes, this 'one pot wonder' makes cleaning up a breeze.
- 4 Ingredient Carbonara - this creamy pasta is actually made with NO cream at all. It gets it smooth, silky creaminess from the combination of eggs and parmesan cheese.
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TikTok Pasta | Creamy Baked Feta & Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 250 g soft feta see notes
- 250 g pasta of choice
- 2 garlic cloves or 2 tsp minced garlic
- handful of fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Place the cherry tomatoes into a medium-large sized ovenproof baking dish. Add the feta to the middle of the dish. Pour over the olive oil and toss the tomatoes to coat. Turn over the feta so that it is coated with olive oil on both sides.Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 230 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until the feta is soft, golden and melting and the tomatoes have split, the skins beginning to char and the juices are flowing out.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta on the stovetop according to the packet directions. When al dente, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water then drain.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, add the minced garlic and stir through. Continue mixing until all of the feta has melted and created a creamy, smooth sauce with the oil and tomato juices.
- Add the drained pasta and mix until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, mix through a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Garnish with the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper.
Jo
Hi, at which step do you add the extras, for that boost of flavour? While in the oven, or do you cook separately and add in at same time as the pasta?
Thanks
Lucy
If adding chorizo, bacon or pancetta, I would cook first and then add at the same stage as the pasta 🙂
NP
Made twice now, yummy
Lucy
That's fantastic!
Lily
Love this recipe :)))