Save to Pinterest The first time I made this baked feta pasta, I wasn't trying to create anything revolutionary—I just had a block of feta, some cherry tomatoes that needed using, and the vague memory of a recipe I'd seen scrolling through my phone. What emerged from the oven was something that made my kitchen smell so intensely Mediterranean, so utterly inviting, that my partner wandered in asking what restaurant had delivered. The magic was in that moment of mashing the warm, golden feta right in the baking dish, watching it transform into a silky sauce that clung to every strand of pasta. It's become the dish I return to when I want something that feels fancy but requires almost no fussing.
I made this for a dinner party last spring when the sun-dried tomatoes in my pantry caught my eye, and I realized I could layer that concentrated umami into something already delicious. My guests kept asking why the sauce tasted so complex, so layered, not understanding that most of it came from sitting in a hot oven while we poured wine and caught up. There's something deeply satisfying about a dish that improves while you're distracted, that gets better the longer you leave it alone.
Ingredients
- Feta cheese (200 g block): This is your hero ingredient—choose a quality block because it's really the only dairy here, and it transforms completely when baked, becoming creamy and almost custard-like.
- Cherry tomatoes (500 g, whole): Keep them whole so they burst and release their juice into the sauce, creating a natural, jammy base that no cream could replicate.
- Sun-dried tomatoes (100 g in oil, drained and chopped): These concentrated little gems add a tangy, almost wine-like depth that makes people ask what your secret is.
- Garlic (3 cloves, thinly sliced): Thin slices mellow and soften in the oven, infusing everything without burning or turning bitter.
- Red onion (1 small, thinly sliced, optional): It adds a subtle sweetness and a whisper of sharpness, rounding out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Short pasta (350 g): Penne, fusilli, or rigatoni work because their shapes catch and hold the sauce; skip long noodles here.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (4 tbsp): Use good oil—this is a dish where you taste it, so it matters more than you'd think.
- Dried oregano and basil (1 tsp each): These season the tomatoes as they bake and create that Mediterranean backbone.
- Red pepper flakes (½ tsp, optional): A small amount adds warmth and makes the bright flavors pop without heat overpowering everything.
- Fresh basil (½ cup, torn): Added at the end, this brightens everything and reminds you that you're eating something alive and fresh, not just cooked.
- Parmesan and lemon zest (for garnish): These finish the dish with brightness and a little textural contrast.
Instructions
- Set your oven and prep the tomatoes:
- Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). While it warms, get your cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced garlic, and red onion into a large baking dish—you want them arranged so they'll caramelize together, not piled in a sad mound.
- Build the flavor base:
- Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes, then shower them with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Toss everything until it's well coated and looks like something worth baking.
- Honor the feta:
- Place your feta block right in the center of the dish like it's royalty, then give it a light drizzle of the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil so it browns evenly and doesn't dry out.
- Bake until golden:
- Let it go for 30 to 35 minutes—you're waiting for the tomatoes to burst and shrivel slightly, and for the feta to turn golden and wobble when you gently shake the dish. The smells at this point are almost unbearable.
- Cook your pasta:
- While the oven works, get a large pot of salted water boiling and cook your pasta until it's tender but not soft—it'll finish cooking in the residual heat later. Before draining, save about ½ cup of that starchy cooking water; it's liquid gold for helping the sauce cling to your pasta.
- Mash and marry:
- This is the moment everything changes: take the hot baking dish out, grab a fork or wooden spoon, and mash the feta and tomatoes together right there in the dish until they become a creamy, chunky sauce. Some pieces of tomato will stay whole; that's perfect.
- Bring it all together:
- Add your drained pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to the baking dish, then toss everything until every noodle is coated in that feta-tomato mixture. If it feels dry, add more pasta water a little at a time.
- Finish with freshness:
- Tear in your fresh basil, taste, and adjust the salt and pepper—remember the feta is salty, so go easy. Give it one more gentle toss.
- Serve immediately:
- Get it into bowls while it's warm, finish with Parmesan and lemon zest if you like, and watch people's faces when they taste it.
Save to Pinterest The moment when everything came together—when I pulled that baking dish out of the oven and mashed the warm feta and burst tomatoes into something that looked like it came from a restaurant kitchen—that's when I understood why this dish had become such a phenomenon. It wasn't just delicious; it was a small, edible miracle that happened to take about 45 minutes and required almost no skill, just the willingness to let good ingredients do what they do best together.
Why This Dish Works
The genius of this recipe is in the oven's work, not yours. High heat bursts the cherry tomatoes and concentrates their sweetness, while the sun-dried tomatoes add a savory umami note that feels intentional and layered. The feta, which might seem like a strange addition to pasta, actually becomes the sauce—soft, creamy, and rich without any cream at all. The pasta water acts as an emulsifier, turning what could be a chunky mess into something silky and clinging. Every component has a job, and they all show up for it.
Playing with Variations
Once you understand how this works, you can improvise freely. I've added chopped kalamata olives for briny depth, toasted pine nuts for crunch, even a small can of white beans for substance when I wanted something heartier. Fresh thyme works beautifully alongside the basil, and if you have any roasted red peppers sitting around, they add a soft sweetness. The dish is flexible enough to accommodate what's in your kitchen, but faithful enough to the formula that you can't really break it.
Scaling and Storage
This recipe doubles easily if you have a big enough baking dish and don't mind a few extra minutes in the oven. I've made it for eight people and had half the table finish their bowls before the other half sat down, which tells you something about how satisfying it is. Leftovers reheat gently in the oven, though honestly it's best eaten right away while the pasta still has some texture and the feta is at peak creaminess. Cold pasta is fine for lunch the next day, though it won't have the same magic.
- If your baking dish is small, use a slightly deeper one or cook in batches—crowding the tomatoes prevents them from caramelizing.
- Don't prep the pasta water too early; it needs to be hot and just-cooked when you toss everything together.
- Taste before serving because salt levels vary with different fetas and the tomatoes' natural saltiness.
Save to Pinterest This dish changed how I cook by reminding me that sometimes the best meals come from trusting simple ingredients and letting time and heat do the heavy lifting. It's become the recipe I make when I want to impress people without stressing, or when I just want to eat something that tastes like sunshine.