Baked Feta Pasta with Basil

# What Goes In:

→ Pasta

01 - 400 g (14 oz) pasta of choice (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)

→ Oven Pan Ingredients

02 - 200 g (7 oz) block of feta cheese

03 - 500 g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, whole

04 - 3 tbsp olive oil

05 - 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

06 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

07 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

08 - ½ tsp sea salt

→ Finishing & Garnish

09 - 1 handful (about 15 g) fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

10 - Zest of ½ lemon (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).

02 - In a baking dish, place the feta block in the center. Surround it with cherry tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves.

03 - Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and sea salt. Toss the tomatoes to coat evenly.

04 - Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and the feta is golden and soft.

05 - While the feta bakes, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir the feta and tomatoes together until a creamy sauce forms.

07 - Add the drained pasta directly to the dish and toss well to coat, adding a bit of pasta water if needed to reach desired creaminess.

08 - Stir in fresh basil and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

09 - Serve hot, garnished with extra basil leaves.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

You barely have to do any work—the oven handles the heavy lifting while you sneak a few bites of fresh basil.
It’s become a weeknight hero in my kitchen because it seems so much fancier than the effort required.

02 -

If you use crumbled feta instead of a block, it won’t melt into a creamy sauce—it just gets crumbly and dry.
Using pasta cooking water is my not-so-secret trick for turning the cheese and tomatoes into a silken, glossy sauce that hugs every noodle.

03 -