Baked Feta Pasta Tomatoes Basil

My friend Sarah came over on a random Tuesday evening with a bottle of wine and an offhand comment: "I saw this feta pasta thing on my phone." Thirty minutes later, we were both staring at a golden block of cheese surrounded by burst tomatoes, completely mesmerized by how something so simple could smell that good. That dish changed how I think about weeknight cooking—sometimes the best meals aren't complicated, they're just honest.

I made this for my parents last month, and my mom—who is notoriously hard to impress in the kitchen—actually asked for seconds and wanted the recipe written down. Watching her tear off a piece of that golden feta and mix it into the warm pasta made me realize this is the kind of dish that doesn't need to be fancy to feel special.

Ingredients

• Feta cheese (200 g block): Use a full block, not crumbled, so it gets creamy and slightly golden in the oven; it becomes your entire sauce.
• Cherry tomatoes (500 g): Whole ones blister beautifully and release their juices into the oil, creating a light sauce base you'll want to soak up with bread.
• Fresh basil (20 g): Tear it with your hands instead of chopping to keep the flavor brighter and the leaves looking tender.
• Extra virgin olive oil (3 tbsp): Don't skip quality here—it's one of five main ingredients and it's the only thing holding them together.
• Garlic (3 cloves, sliced): Thin slices infuse the oil gently rather than overpowering everything with harsh garlic flavor.
• Dried pasta (350 g): Penne or fusilli work best because they catch the creamy sauce in their ridges and tubes.
• Red onion (1 small, thinly sliced): Optional but adds a gentle sweetness and slight sharpness that balances the richness of the feta.
• Red pepper flakes (½ tsp): A quiet heat that sneaks up on you—optional but it brings everything into focus.

Instructions

Set up your canvas:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and grab an ovenproof baking dish—this is where the magic happens, so use something you don't mind bringing to the table later. The dish becomes part of the meal.

Build the foundation:

Scatter your cherry tomatoes, thin slices of garlic, and red onion across the bottom of the dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then toss everything so each tomato gets coated.

Crown the feta:

Place your block of feta right in the center of the tomatoes like it's sitting on a throne, then drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the top. This is your moment to step back and admire what's about to happen.

Let the oven do the work:

Slide the dish into the oven for 30 minutes until the tomatoes have split open and the feta is melting at the edges, turning golden. You'll smell it before you see it—that's when you know it's almost done.

Cook pasta at the same time:

While the oven is working, get a pot of salted water boiling and cook your pasta until it's just tender but still has a little bite. Before draining, cup your hand over a measuring cup and catch about ½ cup of that starchy cooking water—you'll need it for sauce later.

Bring it all together:

Once everything comes out of the oven, grab a fork and gently mash the soft feta and burst tomatoes together into a creamy, chunky sauce. Add your drained pasta and about half of the torn basil, then toss gently, adding splashes of pasta water until it feels silky and loose, not thick.

Finish with intention:

Serve while everything is still warm, scattered with the rest of the basil and a crack of fresh black pepper on top. This is best eaten right away, straight from the baking dish if you're comfortable with that.

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There's something about standing in front of an open oven, watching cheese melt and tomatoes burst, that makes you feel like you're actually cooking. This dish reminds you that you are, even when the ingredient list is short and the whole thing takes less time than ordering delivery.

The Secret Life of Simple Ingredients

Good feta and good olive oil are doing almost all the work here, so it's worth seeking them out if you haven't already. Cheap feta tastes chalky and won't melt as beautifully; proper olive oil tastes peppery and fruity instead of flat. This is one of those recipes where skipping corners actually shows, so treat it as an excuse to buy the things you've been meaning to try.

Variations That Keep It Interesting

Once you've made this a few times, you'll start seeing how flexible it is. Roasted red peppers add sweetness, a handful of spinach wilts right into the warm pasta, olives bring a briny punch, and even sun-dried tomatoes work if cherry tomatoes aren't looking good. Each change is subtle but shifts the whole mood of the dish, which is a nice reminder that you can get creative without actually following a new recipe.

Why This Works as a Weeknight Meal

You only need one oven dish and one pot, everything happens at the same time, and cleanup is minimal because you're basically eating straight out of what you cooked in. It feels restaurant-quality but requires almost no skill, which means you can make it confidently even on nights when you're tired or distracted. That combination—impressive-looking, actually easy, genuinely delicious—is why this one has become permanent rotation at my place.

• You can prepare the tomatoes and garlic several hours ahead and bake them later.
• Fresh basil can be swapped for dried in a pinch, though the final dish won't taste quite as bright.
• Leftover pasta reheats gently in a low oven with a splash of water to bring back the creamy texture.

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This is the kind of recipe that teaches you something without making a big deal about it: that some of the best meals come together when you stop trying so hard and let good ingredients speak for themselves. Make it once, then make it again when you need something that tastes like it took hours but only took thirty minutes.

Recipe Q&A

→ What kind of pasta works best for this dish?

Short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli hold the sauce well and are ideal for this dish.

→ Can I use a vegan cheese substitute?

Yes, replacing feta with a vegan alternative works well to accommodate dietary preferences.

→ How do I achieve the creamy sauce consistency?

Mashing the baked feta with roasted tomatoes and adding reserved pasta water creates a silky, creamy sauce.

→ Is it possible to add more vegetables?

Certainly, additions like sautéed spinach, roasted peppers, or olives complement the dish nicely.

→ What is the best way to bake the feta and tomatoes?

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes until the tomatoes blister and the feta becomes golden and soft.