There is something deeply satisfying about letting the oven do the heavy lifting. As the tomatoes roast, they release their juices and turn jammy, while the feta softens and takes on a lightly toasted edge. When you stir it all together, the heat transforms everything into a creamy, tangy sauce without adding any cream at all. This is Baked Feta Pasta that feels modern and effortless, perfect for nights when you want big flavor with very little hands-on time.
Baked Feta Pasta
Baked Feta Pasta is a tomato-based oven sauce made by roasting cherry tomatoes with a block of feta until creamy and rich. The finished sauce is smooth, tangy and perfectly coats short pasta once emulsified with pasta water.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add cherry tomatoes to a baking dish and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and black pepper.
- Place the feta block in the center of the tomatoes and sprinkle red pepper flakes evenly over the dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft with a lightly golden surface.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the feta and tomatoes together until a creamy sauce forms.
- Add the cooked pasta to the dish and toss well, adding reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the pasta.
- Turn off the heat and fold in the fresh basil just before serving.
Notes
Do not crumble the feta before baking. Keeping it whole allows it to melt slowly and stay creamy instead of dry.
