This Tik Tok Viral Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta recipe blew up on Tik Tok and Instagram at least a year ago! Why did I wait so long to try this? It’s not only fool-proof, it’s incredibly delicious. The cooked pasta is coated with creamy baked perfectly seasoned feta.The baked cherry tomatoes release their tangy and sweet juices. While this is a great way to enjoy summer tomatoes, don’t let that stop you since tomatoes can be found year-round in most grocery stores.
Let me preface sharing with this recipe by declaring I do NOT have a Tik Tok account! I saw this pasta recipe posted countless times on my Instagram feed. I watched the videos, and I will admit that this pasta recipe looked so simple. I forgot about the recipe, since I read that this recipe become so popular, that blocks of feta cheese were as scarce to find as hens teeth.
I realize that we are now in the month of October– where recipes are focused mainly on pumpkin, butternut squash and apples. Turkey recipes are on the horizon, too. However, our California garden still has plenty of tomatoes beckoning for us to find ways to enjoy the last of them. Fear not. I spotted cherry tomatoes at our local grocery store, so you can still make this pasta dish year-round.
While shopping at our local Trader Joe’s, I spotted a block of Feta Cheese. Ding, ding, ding! What a great way to use up our tomatoes! I did a lot of internet research and found an endless source of recipes for this “famous” pasta. I have a shameless hoard of pasta varieties in our pantry, so I chose a box of Cavatappi pasta. I zested a lemon, picked some garden basil, sliced some garlic cloves and got to work.
These cherry tomatoes were still warm from the sun. Trust me, you can find these at your local grocery store. Grape tomatoes work, too!
All you need to do is add olive oil to a baking dish. Add the tomatoes, sliced garlic (smashed is fine, too), salt, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Next, coat a block of feta cheese with olive oil. Add lemon zest (this really made the pasta “pop”) and bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes.
While the cheese and tomatoes is baking, cook the pasta in salted water, according to the box directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Once the tomatoes have popped, and the cheese is baked, gently break the cheese down.
The cheese is soft and creamy. Give this all a gentle stir.
Add the cooked pasta and gently stir to thoroughly combine. Garnish with fresh basil.
TASTING NOTES: Who knew that Baked Feta Cheese would become a dreamy and creamy pasta sauce?! No wonder this pasta dish was such a phenomenal hit. It’s delicious! The Feta cheese adds a bit of tartness, and the sweet cherry tomatoes are a perfect balance. The lemon zest added a lovely brightness to this dish. We loved it! Since I had some shrimp in our freezer, I gave it a quick “water thaw” and quickly sauteed them in a bit of olive oil. That gave us a bit of protein along with our pasta and tomatoes. I can guarantee that I will make this again in the fall, winter, spring and summer! Pasta is one of our favorite “quick” dinners and this one tastes so fresh. It’s so easy, too!
Boursin Cheese Creamy Tomato Pasta
Equipment
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta NOTE: I used Campanelle pasta.
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes grape tomatoes work, too
- 1 container Boursin Cheese Herb and Garlic suggested; 5.5 oz.
- ½ cup olive oil divided
- 1 shallot sliced thin
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- pinch red pepper flakes
- zest of one lemon optional
- fresh basil garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- In an oven-proof baking dish, add the tomatoes. Add the shallots (if using), garlic, and red pepper flakes. Toss with all but 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
- Spread the seasoned tomatoes evenly, leaving space in the middle for the block of cheese. Spread the 2 Tablespoons of oil over the cheese and add the lemon zest.
- Bake between 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the tomatoes have burst.
For the pasta:
- Cook the pasta, according to package directions, in salted water. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Making the pasta dish come together:
- Once the tomatoes and cheese are baked, gently begin breaking down the baked Boursin cheese. Stir, gently, to combine. Add small amounts of the reserved pasta water until the pasta is creamy.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
This pasta was so good!! I would not have expected it to be as tasty as it is using such simple ingredients. I followed the recipe as written and used the same pasta you used. Be sure to use all 3 garlic cloves since it is an important flavor in this dish. Thanks so much for posting this!
Right? I was amazed at how simple, yet delicious this pasta is. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the positive review.