Baked Feta Pasta Tomatoes (Printable)

Creamy baked feta combined with cherry and sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and pasta for a flavorful meal.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz feta cheese block

→ Vegetables

02 - 18 oz whole cherry tomatoes
03 - 3.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Pasta

06 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Herbs & Seasoning

07 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - 1 tsp dried basil
10 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Lemon zest

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and optional red onion. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over, then sprinkle oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes if using, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to mix.
03 - Place the block of feta in the center of the baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
04 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tomatoes burst and the feta becomes golden and soft.
05 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Mash the feta and tomatoes together using a fork or spoon to create a creamy sauce. Add drained pasta and reserved pasta water, tossing to combine thoroughly.
07 - Stir in torn fresh basil leaves and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a silky, tangy sauce without any cream—just honest ingredients doing their job.
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, mostly hands-off while the oven does the work.
  • One dish means one cleanup, and somehow it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—that starch is what transforms the whole dish from oily to silky.
  • If your feta seems dry after baking, it means either your oven runs hot or your baking time was too long; trust your eyes more than the timer.
  • Fresh basil added at the end keeps its character; if you stir it in too early, it darkens and loses personality.
03 -
  • Use a wooden spoon to mash the feta gently—you want a creamy sauce, not feta dust.
  • If serving a crowd, you can assemble everything in the baking dish ahead and bake it right before pasta finishes cooking.
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