Baked Feta Honey Chili (Printable)

Creamy feta and roasted tomatoes combine with honey and chili for a sweet and spicy pasta dish.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese & Dairy

01 - 7 oz block of feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Oils & Acids

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
08 - Kosher salt, to taste
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnishes & Sweeteners

10 - 2 tablespoons honey
11 - Zest of 1 lemon
12 - A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Add chopped garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and half the red pepper flakes. Toss to combine evenly.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the tomato mixture. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining red pepper flakes.
04 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is golden and slightly softened.
05 - While baking, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Drizzle the honey over the feta and tomatoes, then scatter lemon zest across the top. Stir gently to form a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss gently to coat. Incorporate reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with torn fresh basil leaves and extra red pepper flakes if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a creamy sauce that coats every piece of pasta without any cream in sight.
  • Sweet honey and spicy chili create this addictive flavor balance that feels both surprising and somehow inevitable.
  • It comes together in 40 minutes and impresses everyone without a hint of fussiness.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—I learned this the hard way the first time I made this, and the sauce seized up without that starch to loosen it.
  • Tear the basil, never cut it, because a knife bruises the leaves and turns them bitter right when you need them bright.
  • The honey goes on while everything is still hot so it can dissolve and distribute; cold feta won't absorb it the same way.
03 -
  • Buy the best feta you can find—it's the star, so cheap feta will let you down where good feta will absolutely shine.
  • If you're serious about heat, warm your honey with a pinch of chili flakes before drizzling it, so the warmth carries the spice deeper into every layer.
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