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Baked Feta Pasta

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.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Dried Rigatoni bronze-cut preferred
  • 2 pints Cherry Tomatoes
  • 8 oz Block Full-Fat Feta Cheese
  • 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Garlic Cloves lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves torn

Equipment

  • Large baking dish
  • Large pot
  • Colander
  • Tongs

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add cherry tomatoes to a baking dish and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and black pepper.
  2. Place the feta block in the center of the tomatoes and sprinkle red pepper flakes evenly over the dish.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft with a lightly golden surface.
  4. 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.
  5. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the feta and tomatoes together until a creamy sauce forms.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.