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Baked Feta Pasta (The OG TikTok Viral Recipe)
The TikTok baked feta pasta that caused a feta shortage. Roast feta and cherry tomatoes, mash into a sauce, toss with pasta.
viral · tiktok · pasta · vegetarian
🕑Prep10 min
🍳Cook35 min
⏱Total45 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups)
- 1 block (8 oz) feta cheese (get the good stuff — not pre-crumbled)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 10 oz pasta (penne, rigatoni, or orecchiette)
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- 1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Place cherry tomatoes in a large baking dish. Scatter garlic slices among the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- 2.Add the feta. Nestle the block of feta right in the center of the tomatoes. Drizzle the top of the feta with a bit more olive oil.
- 3.Roast. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tomatoes are bursting and the feta is golden on top. The tomatoes should be jammy and collapsing.
- 4.Cook the pasta. While the feta roasts, cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 5.Mash and mix. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a fork to mash the feta and smash the tomatoes into a creamy sauce. Add the hot pasta directly to the dish. Toss everything together, adding pasta water a splash at a time until you get a silky, coating consistency.
- 6.Serve. Top with fresh basil and an extra crack of black pepper. Eat immediately — this doesn't wait well.
Baked Feta Pasta — The Recipe That Broke the Internet (and Grocery Stores)
In January 2021, Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen posted a simple baked feta pasta recipe. By February, it had been recreated millions of times on TikTok. By March, grocery stores across America were literally running out of feta cheese. This is that recipe.
Why It Works
It shouldn’t be this good for this little effort. But the oven does all the work — roasting concentrates the tomato sweetness, turns the feta into a creamy sauce, and caramelizes the garlic. You barely have to cook.
The Mistakes Everyone Makes
Using pre-crumbled feta. It’s dried out and won’t melt into a sauce. You need a solid block — ideally one packed in brine.
Not reserving pasta water. The starchy pasta water is what turns the mashed feta from chunky to silky. Add it gradually.
Overcooking the pasta. It keeps cooking when you toss it in the hot dish. Pull it 1 minute before al dente.
Variations That Also Went Viral
- Pesto version: Add a layer of pesto under the feta before roasting
- Spicy version: Use a habanero feta or add diced jalapeños to the tomatoes
- Protein add: Toss in roasted chickpeas or Italian sausage after baking
