Tik Tok Pasta (Baked Feta Pasta)

Baked feta pasta is all the rage and now we know why! This Tik Tok Pasta dish is made with a delicious roasted tomato and feta cheese sauce and is topped with fresh herbs and Kalamata olives!

Are you ready to learn how to make the most delicious and EASY baked feta pasta in all the land? We’ve seen so many Tik Tok videos and Instagram reels of this pasta and we had to try and obviously give it our own twist.

Tik Tok Pasta – the run-down

What is the TikTok feta pasta recipe? Baked Feta Pasta became a viral social media dish known as “Tik Tok Pasta” in early 2021 and if you haven’t made it yet, you’re in for a treat!

Tik Tok Feta Pasta is an easy pasta recipe made with a block of feta cheese that cooks and softens in the oven with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil to create a delicious creamy feta sauce.

Our baked feta pasta recipe is made with other Mediterranean flavors such as Kalamata olives, fresh herbs, and a little balsamic vinegar.

Tik Tok Pasta Ingredients

The star of baked feta pasta is obviously the FETA. Feta cheese is a delicious, salty cheese that has a very unique flavor- perfect for pasta. Check out what else you need:

• cherry tomatoes – in addition to the feta cheese, cherry tomatoes are going to be the base of your pasta sauce. Feel free to use red, orange, or a combo of colors.
• olive oil  – olive oil is a must as it will make sure nothing sticks to your casserole dish. It also adds a great nutty flavor to this baked feta pasta recipe.
• balsamic vinegar – balsamic vinegar is a classic Mediterranean flavor and it really adds just the right amount of sweetness to this dish.
• minced garlic – do not skip the garlic. Love the savory warmth of this ingredient.
• white onion – onion of any kind will work in this dish. It helps create a beautiful sauce base.
• feta – block feta is what you need to buy for this dish. Below you’ll find some suggestions for our favorite feta brands.
• pasta – any kind of pasta works for baked feta pasta becuase you cook the pasta seperate. Pick your favorite shape.
• pasta water – pasta water is truly the “secret sauce” of this sauce. After your pasta cooks in the water, make sure to reserve some of the starchy water. It will help thicken your feta cheese sauce.
• fresh herbs – fresh herbs are a must in this dish! We used mint and basil.
• kalamata olives – olives are the perfect salty topper for this dish. They also tie in that Mediterranean flare we’re going for.

Feta cheese Suggestions

There are lots of different feta brands out there. This baked feta pasta dish calls for an 8-oz. block. Below you’ll find our top 3 brand choices to check out:

1. Athenos
2. Odyssey
3. Kryssos Co.

Can I use feta crumbles? While we haven’t personally made this recipe with feta crumbles, it will totally work. We suggest cooking the tomatoes first for about 25-30 minutes and then adding the feta crumbles and cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes. Since the feta is in much smaller pieces, it won’t need to cook as long.

I can only find aged feta, can I use that? Any kind of block feta should do the trick!

How to Make the Famous Tik Tok Pasta Recipe

Are. You. Ready. For the run-down of baked feta tomato pasta?! Remember to head down to the recipe card to get the ingredient amounts and full instructions.

Create Sauce Base

First things first, let’s made that yummy, creamy, tomato -base for your feta sauce.

Place cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and onion on the bottom of your casserole dish and toss with olive oil so that everything is nicely coated.

Add Block Feta

Slice your block of feta cheese in half and then place them into your casserole dish making sure they are sitting directly on the bottom of your dish.

Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake

Bake feta cheese pasta sauce at 400ºF, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Smash and Mix Sauce

Once the 40 minutes are up, the cherry tomatoes should be deeper in color and look visually shriveled. This is exactly how you want them to be. The feta should be slightly golden brown and soft to touch.

Use a fork or a mixing spoon to smash the cherry tomatoes until they burst and then mix them together with the softened feta cheese.

Add in starchy pasta water and mix again.

Add Pasta

While your feta pasta sauce is roasting, you can actually start the pasta cooking process. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to cook perfect al dente pasta.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
2. Add pasta and follow the directions on the back of your box.
3. Before straining, make sure to reserve some starchy pasta water for the sauce. Then, strain pasta from the hot water.

Add cooked pasta right into the sauce and toss.

What kind of pasta can you use? Any kind of pasta works for this recipe. Some suggestions are: penne, rigatoni, or shells.

Toss Fresh Ingredients

Once everything is tossed together, it’s time to add the final touches — herbs and olives! We are obsessed with mint + basil and that’s what we used in this recipe. Feel free to use both or one or the other.

Kalamata olives are such a great salty add to this recipe and they really tie it all together.

Tik Tok Pasta Variations

Add spinach or kale: wanting to get more veggies in your pasta? Add sautéed spinach or kale right at the end.

Add a protein: garlic butter shrimp or pan seared chicken would be absolutely delicious served next to or tossed right into this pasta.

Use goat cheese instead: try swapping the feta cheese for goat cheese for a similar sauce consistency, but a sweeter flavor!

Ditch the noodle: not a huge fan of noodles? Try using zoodles or spaghetti squash noodles instead!

How to Store Baked Feta Pasta

Let pasta cool completely and then transfer it into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

4.69 from 19 votes

Baked Feta Pasta (Tik Tok Pasta)

Baked Feta Pasta is such a simple, yet flavorful meal to make. Our baked feta pasta recipe is made with a roasted tomato base and also includes fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar, and garlic!

Prep:20 minutes minutes

Cook:40 minutes minutes

Total:1 hour hour

Fat 30

Carbs 53

Protein 20

Yield: 4

1x2x3x

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 medium white onion minced
• 8 oz. block feta
• 8 oz. pasta any kind
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives chopped

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• Pour 2 pints of cherry tomatoes into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. 
• Drizzle olive oil over the cherry tomatoes and toss until all the tomatoes are coated in oil. 
• Add the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and onion to the baking dish and toss. 
• Next, create 2 wells in the baking dish by moving the tomatoes aside. Cut the block of feta in half diagonally and place them into the baking dish.
• Bake at 400ºF for 40 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook the pasta until it is cooked to al dente. 
• Before pouring the pasta into a strainer, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set it aside. Then, strain pasta and set it aside. 
• Once the timer goes off, remove the dish from the oven and smash the feta and cooked tomatoes with a fork or spatula. Make sure that all of the tomatoes have burst. Then, add in 1/2 cup pasta water and stir everything together to create a creamy feta sauce.
• Finally, add the cooked pasta to the casserole dish and mix until the pasta is coated in sauce. 
• Add basil, mint, and olives to the casserole dish and toss the baked feta pasta one last time. 
• Serve with fresh cracked black pepper and enjoy. 

Watch It

Nutrition facts

Calories: 561kcal Carbohydrates: 53g Protein: 20g Fat: 30g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 8g

Author: Lee Funke

Similar Recipes:

Related Posts

• 
  Baked Mac and Cheese
• 
  How to Make Box Mac and Cheese Better
• 
  Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
• 
  The Best Mac and Cheese Recipe

Hashtag with us!

Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag, we’d love to see what you’re up to!

#thecheeseknees