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My spin on TikTok’s famous baked feta pasta recipe is super-easy to make in the oven and tossed with the most irresistible, cheesy, garlicky tomato basil sauce. Feel free to add any extra proteins or veggies that you’d like too!
After scrolling past TikTok’s famous new viral recipe for baked feta pasta about a million times online this past week, Barclay and I finally caved and brought home a package of feta to give it a try. And we both had to agree…
…this baked feta pasta is legit awesome. ♡
Somewhat similar to how I melt down a ball of burrata to make the sauce for this cheesy pasta recipe, the uunifetapasta trend — started by Finnish blogger Liemessa — simply bakes a block of feta until it is hot and melty to form the irresistibly creamy, cheesy, tangy base for this pasta sauce. Then once combined with a pan full of burst baked cherry tomatoes, chewy al dente pasta, lots of fresh basil and garlic, and a few simple seasonings, well, there’s a reason why the entire world seems to be losing their minds over this feta pasta recipe. It really is comfort food at its best!
That said, after initially trying out the original uunifetapasta recipe, there were a few small tweaks that we ended up making and loving in our home that I thought I’d share today with any of you who might be interested. First of all, both my husband and I agreed that the sauce could use way more tomatoes and fresh basil, so we more than doubled the quantities of both which added lots of extra fresh flavor (and also made the dish more saucy, yum). I also added in a generous splash of white wine which I love in a good tomato basil sauce, but it’s totally optional if you prefer not to cook with wine. I also wilted a bunch of fresh spinach into the pasta, and would love to add in some extra veggies (such as broccoli, asparagus or mushrooms) next time too. And finally, my husband and I both agreed that a generous sprinkling of salty, umami, aged Parmesan atop each serving really helped to balance out the fresh, creamy, tangy flavors of the feta, so I highly recommend using both cheeses here.
As always, feel free to also add in any meat, seafood, or other kinds of protein that you might like with this pasta. And of course, if you would like to make it gluten-free, just cook up your favorite kind of gf pasta and you should be good to go.
Arguably the best thing about this baked feta pasta recipe is that it only requires a few quick minutes of hands-on prep time, and then your oven and stovetop will do the rest of the work for you. So if you’re looking for a simple, indulgent, comforting new pasta recipe to try, grab a block of feta before it disappears from store shelves in your area and give it a go!
Baked Feta Pasta Ingredients:
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few important notes about the ingredients you will need to make this baked feta pasta recipe:
Feta cheese: The original recipe for this pasta calls for a block of feta cheese which, here in Europe, is around 200 grams (or 7 ounces). That said, if only crumbled feta cheese is available at your local grocery store, feel free to just press it together into a pile in the center of your baking dish and it should still work just fine.
Cherry or grape tomatoes: I ended up adding extra tomatoes to this dish, which also ends up adding a bit of extra liquid for the sauce as the tomatoes burst open in the oven — win-win! Fresh cherry or grape tomatoes definitely work best for this dish, so chose whichever ones look the most ripe at your grocery store.
Olive oil: Which we will drizzle over the feta and tomatoes as they cook, and will also help to add a bit of richness to the sauce.
White wine (optional): I also added a generous splash of white wine to the feta and tomatoes, whose flavor added a delicious note to the sauce. (That said, if you prefer not to cook with wine, you can just leave this out and add in a bit of hot starchy pasta water or a squeeze or lemon juice instead.)
Crushed red pepper flakes: The original recipe called for using thinly-sliced fresh red chile peppers, which would also work well here. But since they can be more difficult to find in various countries, I recommend just sprinkling on some crushed red pepper flakes instead.
Salt and pepper: This pasta will probably not need much added salt, since the feta itself is naturally so salty. But I do recommend adding in a generous amount of freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste.
Pasta: Almost any kind of pasta shape will work for this recipe — noodles (bucatini, linguine, etc), tubes (rigatoni, penne, etc) or other small shapes (such as the orrechiette that I used). So choose whatever sounds fun!
Fresh spinach: I added in a very large handful of fresh baby spinach to give the pasta a bit of extra nutrition and color, which I would highly recommend.
Fresh basil: The original recipe also called for a small sprinkling of fresh basil, but I recommend amping that up big-time and adding in around 1 cup of loosely-packed chopped basil leaves. Its flavor really helps to balance out all of those flavors in the feta and also serves as the main seasoning for the sauce.
Parmesan cheese: Finally, as much as we loved the fresh and tangy feta in this recipe, we still thought that it needed some of the nutty, aged, unami flavor of Parmesan to round out the flavors in the end. So I recommend sprinkling each serving with a generous amount of shaved or grated Parmesan.
How To Make Baked Feta Pasta:
Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a brief overview of how to make my version of TikTok’s feta pasta recipe:
Prep the tomato feta sauce. As shown in the photos above, simply place the block of feta in the center of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, surround it with cherry tomatoes, drizzle on olive oil and wine (and give all of the ingredients a little jostle to coat them in the oil), season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Then bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are nice and juicy.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. While the tomatoes and feta are baking, heat your pasta water and then cook the pasta until it is just slightly shy of al dente. (The pasta will finish cooking in the tomato feta sauce.) Be sure to also reserve a cup or so of that hot starchy pasta water before draining the pasta, which you may need to use later.
Put it all together. Then it’s time to combine everything! (You can either do this in the empty pot or, per TikTok, directly in the baking pan itself.) Immediately add the garlic and basil to the tomato-feta mixture and stir until the feta has melted into a creamy sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and spinach and toss until combined, adding in some of that reserved starchy pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Give it all a taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve. Then serve up the pasta while it’s nice and hot, sprinkle on lots of freshly-shaved or grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Possible Recipe Variations:
Here are a few more ways that you can customize this baked feta pasta if you would like:
Add a protein: Cook up some Italian sausage, chicken, shrimp, salmon or scallops on the side if you would like to add a protein to the pasta once it has been cooked.
Add veggies: Likewise, you are also welcome to cook (roast, sauté, or however you prefer) some extra veggies to add to the pasta if you would like, such as broccoli, onions, asparagus, bell peppers, or mushrooms.
Add extra herbs: Feel free to also toss in any other fresh or dried herbs that might pair well in this sauce, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary or fresh chives.
Make it gluten-free: Just use your preferred kind of gluten-free pasta, or you could also serve this over spiralized veggie noodles (such as zucchini or sweet potato noodles).
Make it spicier: And of course, if you would like to increase the heat, just add more crushed red pepper flakes or sliced fresh chiles.
Use roasted garlic: Instead of (or in addition to) adding in the minced garlic at the end of the recipe, feel free to roast a head of garlic in the oven alongside the baking dish with the feta and tomatoes if you would like to add some deliciously sweet roasted garlic to this dish.
Use a base other than pasta: In place of pasta, you could also easily serve this tomato-feta sauce with rice (or risotto), quinoa, farro, beans, lentils, or simply with a few big hunks of crusty bread.
More Easy Pasta Recipes:
And if you’re looking for more crowd-pleasing, comforting, easy pasta recipes, here are a few of my all-time faves to try:
My spin on TikTok’s famous baked feta pasta recipe is super-easy to make in the oven and tossed with the most irresistible, cheesy, garlicky tomato basil sauce. Feel free to add any extra proteins or veggies that you’d like too!
8 ounces uncooked pasta of your choice (I used orrecchiette)
3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 large handful fresh baby spinach
1 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh basil
shaved or grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
Prep oven. Heat oven to 400°F (205°C).
Prep the tomato feta sauce. Place the block of feta in the center of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tomatoes around the feta, then drizzle everything evenly with the olive oil and white wine. (I recommend giving the ingredients a brief toss so that they are evenly coated in the oil.) Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes evenly over the feta, and season the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Bake. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are nice and juicy.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. While the tomatoes and feta are baking, heat a large stockpot of generously-salted water until boiling. About 10 minutes or so before the tomatoes and feta are set to finish, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is just 1 minute or so shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside for later, then drain the pasta.
Put it all together. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Immediately add the garlic and basil and stir the mixture together until the feta has melted into a creamy sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and spinach and gently toss until the pasta is evenly coated and the spinach has begun to wilt. If the sauce seems too dry, add in some of the reserved starchy pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Season. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve. Serve warm, garnished with lots of Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
I have to say this looks so delicious. Your recipes are always colorful to look at; you use ingredients that are available year round and healthy; and most importantly the recipes are not costly to make. I will definitely be making this recipe but will adjust the recipe to make half……just enough for two and as the veggie portion of the meal. This will definitely be the side with salmon.
Great timing! I just got a bulk package of authentic sheeps milk feta from warehouse and then this shows up in my inbox. Thanks for sharing it looks so yummy!
Michelle —
So good! Made it last night. I doubled the recipe for our family but did not double the amount of tomatoes and it was a hit. This will definitely go into my recipe rotation.
Just made this tonight and it was AMAZING! I wish I had done even more tomatoes, but otherwise the flavors all came together perfectly and it was so easy!
If adding extra veggies like mushrooms or broccoli, when would one add them? Also, should they be cooked and then added or just added raw to the bake? Thank you!
I would recommend cooking either of those veggies separately, versus in the pan with the tomatoes. You could either roast them on a separate pan or sauté them on the stove, and then add them to the sauce along with the pasta. :)
Made this with Violife vegan feta, left out the spinach. Added mushrooms which I sauteed beforehand. I wasn’t sure if the Violife would melt well but it did. I used whole wheat orecchiette too. Accidentally didn’t use enough basil or tomatoes (just shy of recipe amount) and STILL AMAZING!!
Just tried out this recipe for a quick, easy dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I added lemon juice along with toasted pine nuts as well, will definitely be included in our favorite dinner rotations!
I made this tonight and found it to be too spicy for me but my husband thought it was fine. I think I will replace the red chili flakes with something a little milder next time. Not sure what though.
Rachel A Holt —
If you can get peppadew peppers (in the olive bar section at your local nicer grocery store) they would be perfect with a slight sweetness and a more piquant than spicy flavor. I highly recommend them.
This was amazing! I added some kalamata olives and used parsley instead of basil. I also added some salt and Italian seasoning. I might have been heavy handed with wine so I did end up needing some extra pasta water to thicken it. I will definitely make it again.
This recipe is delicious! I would make it again and again. Out of curiosity, can feta be substituted with another cheese? (Two of my kids aren’t big fans of feta.)
Thanks,
Linda
Lea —
This was delicious!! Tomatoes and white wine addition is on point!! Just wanted to add…I’ve made this twice now, the second time I couldn’t find feta so I substituted Boursin garlic and herb cheese….fabulous!!! I think I like that better than feta
Another hit! I added mushrooms, chicken, and asparagus. My grocery store was sold out of feta blocks, so I tried to ball up my crumbled feta and it worked just fine! Only other modification was no white wine since apparently I am out :( and extra tomatoes! You probably can’t add too many tomatoes to this recipe. Delicious!!!
Super easy and delicious! I used vegan cheese (https://miyokos.com/products/garlic-herb-cheese) and gluten-free pasta but the final dish certainly didn’t taste like I’d made any subs. A great, flexible recipe – thank you!
Made the recipe exactly to your instructions, loved it! Do you think it would be possible to make this with the normal, bigger sized tomatoes (perhaps quartered)?
Just made this last night and it was outstanding! It was so tasty and was a hit with the whole family. I think when I make this again, I’m going to add some shrimp but it is definitely good just the way it is!
Good old Dillons was totally out of fresh basil. I improvised with dry and extra spinach. Topped with seared shrimp. So good. I can’t wait until basil is available to try the real thing. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes and whole grain pasta.
This dish was tasty and delicious! The family loved it. Followed recipe as stated and didn’t have to modify it. I wanted to have protein in it therefore I cooked 2 chicken breast in olive oil, seasoned with salt , pepper and garlic salt for 3 minutes on each side. Left the chicken breast covered in the pan for 10-12 minutes, off the flame. (I didn’t fully cook the chicken as I wanted the chicken to be moist) Cube the chicken. With the last 10 minutes of cooking time of the tomato/feta mixture, stir in the chicken with the tomatoes. Then follow the rest of the recipe with garlic, etc.
How to you eat leftovers – can this be rewarmed? Thank you for all your yummy recipes. Please reply as I would like to make this recipe this coming week.
Oh my word, I made this last night and it was phenomenal! It tasted like we were eating at an incredible Italian restaurant. We added a loaf of Trader Joe’s sundried tomato foccacia bread and a glass of wine. Amazing!
I made the original recipe. No basil, just tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, a block of feta, olive oil and salt/pepper. The aroma coming from the oven was amazing. I couldn’t wait to get it out and mix in some pasta. I will make this again but just to have for one nights dinner. It was totally yummy the first night but did not do well as a leftover. Just my opinion. And yes I did save pasta water to add next day but wasn’t the same.
Followed the recipe exactly. I’m Italian, I grew up eating pasta in many forms and sauces. I followed the recipe exactly. I can honestly say that this is the worst.
A big fan of the original recipe but LOVED your touch on it too — the garlic, spinach, and parm definitely made it better for me and are something I plan to include as part of my standard recipe going forward. Also, reserving the pasta water is a *must* as it helps a great deal with the sauce especially if you’re doing it with a pound of pasta.
Great recipe! I modified it some, using 2 lbs of cherry tomatoes and 1 lb of pasta, all other portions the same, and it turned out great and was plenty saucy for me.
Thanks so much, love your recipes!
This came out really delicious, still contemplating whether to add meat to this dish. Only had one and a half tomatoes but it was still super delicious. I used other veggies to substitute such as cabbage, green peppers, cauliflower. The extra herbs I added were celery, bandania and parsley. Was surprised it didn’t require more salt. I used rice cooking wine.
I realized that I didn’t buy enough cherry tomatoes so added some drained San Marzano to the recipe. It was so delicious! Definitely going in our regular meal rotation.
very good! I substituted the white wine with a small drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I did not have fresh basil, but I did have dry and I used 1/3 cup. it was a LOT of seasoning. still very delicious but i would definitely reduce the basil to even less 1/3 cup if your using dry compared to fresh. 1 bowl filled me and my boyfriend up! we still have half the dish for leftovers! definitely feeds a good 4 people.
I have to say this looks so delicious. Your recipes are always colorful to look at; you use ingredients that are available year round and healthy; and most importantly the recipes are not costly to make. I will definitely be making this recipe but will adjust the recipe to make half……just enough for two and as the veggie portion of the meal. This will definitely be the side with salmon.
Great timing! I just got a bulk package of authentic sheeps milk feta from warehouse and then this shows up in my inbox. Thanks for sharing it looks so yummy!
So good! Made it last night. I doubled the recipe for our family but did not double the amount of tomatoes and it was a hit. This will definitely go into my recipe rotation.
Since this serves four, how did you save the leftovers and serve them later? The recipe looks so good but I would have leftovers.
Thanks, Sue.
Made this tonight. SO good!!!
I didn’t have white wine so I added 1/2 cup of pasta water at the end.
Just made this tonight and it was AMAZING! I wish I had done even more tomatoes, but otherwise the flavors all came together perfectly and it was so easy!
If adding extra veggies like mushrooms or broccoli, when would one add them? Also, should they be cooked and then added or just added raw to the bake? Thank you!
I would recommend cooking either of those veggies separately, versus in the pan with the tomatoes. You could either roast them on a separate pan or sauté them on the stove, and then add them to the sauce along with the pasta. :)
Wow, this was good. We followed your version exactly and ate every last bite!
This looks delicious. Does it have to be eaten while hot or is it still good room temp?
We loved it best hot, but it will still be delicious room temp. (Even the cold leftovers were good too!)
Omg, this pasta is amazing!
What would be a good feta substitute? I’m not a big fan of feta.
Making this tonight! I’m going to add the roasted garlic, and some red bell pepper too! Did you precook the spinach at all, or just a raw handful?
Just added it in raw — it immediately wilts into the warm pasta. Sounds so good! Enjoy! :)
Made this with Violife vegan feta, left out the spinach. Added mushrooms which I sauteed beforehand. I wasn’t sure if the Violife would melt well but it did. I used whole wheat orecchiette too. Accidentally didn’t use enough basil or tomatoes (just shy of recipe amount) and STILL AMAZING!!
Just tried out this recipe for a quick, easy dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I added lemon juice along with toasted pine nuts as well, will definitely be included in our favorite dinner rotations!
I made this tonight and found it to be too spicy for me but my husband thought it was fine. I think I will replace the red chili flakes with something a little milder next time. Not sure what though.
If you can get peppadew peppers (in the olive bar section at your local nicer grocery store) they would be perfect with a slight sweetness and a more piquant than spicy flavor. I highly recommend them.
I have one small complaint…. this pasta was so good I couldn’t stop eating it and now I feel ill.
If you haven’t made this yet – do it. Easy and so delicious! Will be a mid week regular around here x
Can I substitute the cherry tomatoes for regular ones? I have a ton of tomatoes that I have yet to use
Thank you! I was going to try the original recipe tonight, but now I am going to try yours instead :)
Can you use larger tomatoes? That’s all they had at the grocery store. They are bigger than a grape but smaller than an apple or large tomato.
Couldn’t find fresh basil, wondering how much dried basil to sub in…..???
Omg, made this tonight. AMAZING! So simple, yet so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
This was amazing! I added some kalamata olives and used parsley instead of basil. I also added some salt and Italian seasoning. I might have been heavy handed with wine so I did end up needing some extra pasta water to thicken it. I will definitely make it again.
Nutrition information please….
I would love to try this but need this information first.
Thank you!
You can plug in the ingredients yourself to an app like Lose It! Or my fitness pal.
This recipe is delicious! I would make it again and again. Out of curiosity, can feta be substituted with another cheese? (Two of my kids aren’t big fans of feta.)
Thanks,
Linda
This was delicious!! Tomatoes and white wine addition is on point!! Just wanted to add…I’ve made this twice now, the second time I couldn’t find feta so I substituted Boursin garlic and herb cheese….fabulous!!! I think I like that better than feta
Another hit! I added mushrooms, chicken, and asparagus. My grocery store was sold out of feta blocks, so I tried to ball up my crumbled feta and it worked just fine! Only other modification was no white wine since apparently I am out :( and extra tomatoes! You probably can’t add too many tomatoes to this recipe. Delicious!!!
Do you think I could use goat cheese instead ?
I haven’t tried goat cheese yet, but have seen examples of it working on TikTok. I say give it a try!
I made it with a black truffle goat cheese and it was out of this world.
I can’t get over how delicious and easy this is! Our whole family loved it.
Not sure what I did wrong but I didn’t care for it.
Super easy and delicious! I used vegan cheese (https://miyokos.com/products/garlic-herb-cheese) and gluten-free pasta but the final dish certainly didn’t taste like I’d made any subs. A great, flexible recipe – thank you!
Do you cook the spinach before adding it?
Can this be made ahead of time and then reheated in the oven?
Made the recipe exactly to your instructions, loved it! Do you think it would be possible to make this with the normal, bigger sized tomatoes (perhaps quartered)?
I made this today and added Chicken. My family loved.
THIS IS UNREAL!!! I love it so much. Easy and RESTAURANT quality! Thank you so much!
Just made this last night and it was outstanding! It was so tasty and was a hit with the whole family. I think when I make this again, I’m going to add some shrimp but it is definitely good just the way it is!
Good old Dillons was totally out of fresh basil. I improvised with dry and extra spinach. Topped with seared shrimp. So good. I can’t wait until basil is available to try the real thing. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes and whole grain pasta.
This dish was tasty and delicious! The family loved it. Followed recipe as stated and didn’t have to modify it. I wanted to have protein in it therefore I cooked 2 chicken breast in olive oil, seasoned with salt , pepper and garlic salt for 3 minutes on each side. Left the chicken breast covered in the pan for 10-12 minutes, off the flame. (I didn’t fully cook the chicken as I wanted the chicken to be moist) Cube the chicken. With the last 10 minutes of cooking time of the tomato/feta mixture, stir in the chicken with the tomatoes. Then follow the rest of the recipe with garlic, etc.
A fun, easy peasy weeknight meal!! We added Italian sausage to ours tonight, handfuls of spinach, garlic & herbs de Provence!! Delish!!!
How to you eat leftovers – can this be rewarmed? Thank you for all your yummy recipes. Please reply as I would like to make this recipe this coming week.
Oh my word, I made this last night and it was phenomenal! It tasted like we were eating at an incredible Italian restaurant. We added a loaf of Trader Joe’s sundried tomato foccacia bread and a glass of wine. Amazing!
I made the original recipe. No basil, just tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, a block of feta, olive oil and salt/pepper. The aroma coming from the oven was amazing. I couldn’t wait to get it out and mix in some pasta. I will make this again but just to have for one nights dinner. It was totally yummy the first night but did not do well as a leftover. Just my opinion. And yes I did save pasta water to add next day but wasn’t the same.
Also made this as a topping for crostini
Made as directed but served over grilled ciabatta with some balsamic vinegar
Was amazing.
Followed the recipe exactly. I’m Italian, I grew up eating pasta in many forms and sauces. I followed the recipe exactly. I can honestly say that this is the worst.
I used this as a pizza sauce/topping. AWESOME!!
A big fan of the original recipe but LOVED your touch on it too — the garlic, spinach, and parm definitely made it better for me and are something I plan to include as part of my standard recipe going forward. Also, reserving the pasta water is a *must* as it helps a great deal with the sauce especially if you’re doing it with a pound of pasta.
Great recipe! I modified it some, using 2 lbs of cherry tomatoes and 1 lb of pasta, all other portions the same, and it turned out great and was plenty saucy for me.
Thanks so much, love your recipes!
This came out really delicious, still contemplating whether to add meat to this dish. Only had one and a half tomatoes but it was still super delicious. I used other veggies to substitute such as cabbage, green peppers, cauliflower. The extra herbs I added were celery, bandania and parsley. Was surprised it didn’t require more salt. I used rice cooking wine.
I realized that I didn’t buy enough cherry tomatoes so added some drained San Marzano to the recipe. It was so delicious! Definitely going in our regular meal rotation.
very good! I substituted the white wine with a small drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I did not have fresh basil, but I did have dry and I used 1/3 cup. it was a LOT of seasoning. still very delicious but i would definitely reduce the basil to even less 1/3 cup if your using dry compared to fresh. 1 bowl filled me and my boyfriend up! we still have half the dish for leftovers! definitely feeds a good 4 people.
This recipe is so easy and fabulous! It is absolutely delicious!
Delicious & easy! Loved the spinach in it for some added greens. Made double the recipe. Will definitely make again!
Oh my goodness. We made this tonight and it was amazing! So easy and so delicious. Thank you for this awesome recipe!