Baked Feta Pasta

A whole block of feta baked with tomatoes, then stirred into a creamy sauce.

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
YieldServes 4
Baked Feta Pasta
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Before You Start

The one that broke the internet, and it genuinely works. Baking a block of feta with cherry tomatoes until both collapse gives you a salty, creamy, slightly sweet sauce with no cream in it at all. Use block feta in brine, never the pre-crumbled kind, which will not melt.

Instructions

0 of 6 done

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Tip the cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves into a baking dish and toss with most of the olive oil, the oregano, chilli and pepper.

  2. Clear a space in the middle and sit the whole block of feta in it. Pour the remaining oil over the feta and grind more pepper on top. Do not salt; the feta brings plenty.

  3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and wrinkled and the feta is soft and golden at the edges.

  4. Meanwhile cook the pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water before draining, since you will need it.

  5. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins into the dish and discard the skins. Mash everything together with a fork into a rough, creamy sauce.

  6. Tip in the drained pasta with a good splash of the pasta water and stir hard until the sauce turns glossy and coats every piece. Finish with lemon juice and torn basil.

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💡 Baker's tips

  • The pasta water is not optional. Its starch is what turns oily feta and tomato into an emulsified sauce rather than a greasy one.
  • Roasting the garlic in its skin keeps it sweet. Peeled cloves scorch and turn bitter over 40 minutes.

🔀 Make it your own

  • Add a handful of olives and a tin of drained tuna for a puttanesca lean.
  • Swap feta for a block of goat cheese, or use boursin for a milder, herbier sauce.

📦 Storing & freezing

Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water; the microwave splits the sauce. It does not freeze well.

❓ Frequently asked

Can I use crumbled feta instead of a block?

It works but it is not as good. Crumbled feta is drier and often coated in anti-caking starch, so it browns rather than melting into a sauce.

How many grams is a cup of cherry tomatoes?

About 150 g per US cup, so the 4 cups here is roughly 600 g, or two standard punnets.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.

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