This baked feta pasta recipe is delicious and makes for the easiest weeknight dinner recipe. Nothing sounds better than a roasted block of feta cheese!
This recipes was a TikTok phenomena that I just had to try. The original recipe is pretty good, but with a few adjustments, it has become a household favorite for my family!
Delicious Additions
First of all, when roasting this recipe, you can add way more ingredients than just tomatoes and feta! While I love a good vegetarian pasta, which the OG recipe is, in order for a recipe to be deemed dinner for my husband, it needs to have some meat! I add hot Italian sausage while roasting the rest of the ingredients and it thoroughly cooks great.
I also add in some onion. Shallots are my favorite to use with this recipe while roasting. Add some roughly chopped garlic adds great flavor. For fresh herbs, you can be as creative as you want! From basil to parsley to thyme. My favorite to use is fresh thyme.
Make it Extra Creamy
The first time I made Baked Feta Pasta, per the OG recipe, I thought, “oh, this is good, but it could be a little creamier.” My husband has a good friend, who is also a chef, whose recommendation was to add 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese at the end when mixing the baked feta pasta ingredients to add additional creaminess. Don’t add more than that, or it will be too creamy and decadent! (Yes, that is possible.)
Here are the Ingredients You’ll Need
Cherry Tomatoes
For this baked feta pasta recipe, I use 1 pint of cherry tomatoes. If you want a little more tomato volume, this recipe can definitely handle 2 pints, but my husband is not the biggest tomato fan, so I only use one. I love the colored cherry tomatoes, as they are so pretty!
To prep, just wash the tomatoes and leave them whole. They will burst when they roast in the oven.
Feta Cheese
Use a whole block of feta cheese.
Pasta Noodles
Today I’m going to use rotini noodles, but I have used bowties, corkscrews and angel hair in the past. All types of pasta I’ve tried go great with this recipe, so use whatever pasta you have on hand or your preference of shape!
Italian Sausage
Italian sausage is a great addition to this recipe. I love adding hot Italian sausage to give a little extra spice. You can use any Italian sausage.
To prepare the Italian sausage, slice the links thinly on an angle.
Shallot
You will need 1 shallot, thinly sliced for this recipe. Onion roasts great and amplifies the flavor of this recipe.
Garlic
Garlic is a must for any pasta recipe in my house! I use 2 fresh cloves of garlic, roughly chopped.
Cream Cheese
Just a Tablespoon of cream cheese will be added at the end when mixing up the baked feta pasta. It adds some great additional creaminess to this recipe.
Herbs and Seasonings
I will use fresh Thyme, crushed red pepper, sea salt and ground black pepper, but feel free to be creative! I have grown an outdoor herb garden that has 3 varieties of Thyme. I’ll use English Thyme in this recipe today, but I’ve used Lemon Thyme as well in the past!
How to Make the Baked Feta Pasta
Roast the Veggies and Feta
Start by preheating the oven.
Then, in a large baking dish or dutch oven, add the prepared tomatoes, shallot and garlic. Toss with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add in the sliced Italian sausage.
Next, create a hole in the center of your dutch oven and place in the brick of feta cheese. Top the feta with a heavy drizzle of olive oil. Scatter the thyme over the tomato, sausage and shallot mixture.
Roast the veggies, sausage and feta block in the oven for 40-45 minutes. The sausage will be fully cooked and browned, the tomatoes will burst and the onion should be soft. When done, remove from oven and keep warm.
Cook the Pasta
While the feta, veggies and sausage is roasting, bring a large of salted water to a boil. Then, add your pasta of choice and cook as directed on the packaging. Drain the pasta once cooked and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
Finish the Baked Feta Pasta
Add the cooked pasta to the baked feta, sausage and veggies with a splash of the reserved pasta water and 1 ounce of cream cheese. Stir until mixed well. If the pasta seems a little dry, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water. It helps to put the lid on your dutch oven, if that is what you are using, to allow the cream cheese to melt fully.
Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. I like to use a grated Italian blend mix of parmesan, asiago and romano cheeses!
And, the baked feta pasta is ready to enjoy!
What to Serve With the Baked Feta Pasta
I like to serve this recipe with a side salad. Cesar salad or an Italian house salad are both great choices. I also recommend making some garlic bread to go along with this recipe. There is nothing better than garlic bread dipped in the pasta sauce!
Amazing Baked Feta Pasta with Italian Sausage
This baked feta pasta recipe is delicious and makes for the easiest weeknight dinner recipe. Nothing sounds better than a roasted block of feta cheese!
Ingredients
- 1 pint of whole cherry tomatoes
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 package of Italian sausage, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped.
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- 1- 8 oz block of feta cheese
- 12 oz pasta, cooked, your choice. I’ll use rotini today, but I’ve used bowties or angel hair in the past!
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Then, in a large baking dish or dutch oven, add the tomatoes, shallots and garlic. Toss with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add in the sliced Italian sausage.
Next, create a hole in the center of your dutch oven and place in the brick of feta cheese. Top the feta with a heavy drizzle of olive oil. Scatter the thyme over the tomato, sausage and shallot mixture.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm.
While the feta, veggies and sausage is roasting, bring a large of salted water to a boil. Then, add your pasta of choice and cook as directed on the packaging. Drain the pasta once cooked and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
Add the cooked pasta to the baked feta, sausage and veggies
with a splash of the reserved pasta water and 1 ounce of cream cheese. Stir until mixed well. If the pasta seems a
little dry, add a splash more of pasta water. It helps to put the lid on your dutch oven if that is what you are using to allow the cream cheese to melt fully.
Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The baked feta pasta will store for 4 days.
If you like tomatoes, this recipe can hold 2 pints of tomatoes!
Additional Recipes to Try
Delicious One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta
Best-Ever Fluffy, Flavorful Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
I’ve been a professional painter for the last 20 years. That Sweet Tea Life is a place where I get to slow down and visit the craftier side of painting.
I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned painting hundreds of pieces of furniture and sets of kitchen cabinets.