Grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and black olives are baked in olive oil with a whole block of creamy feta cheese in this Mediterranean Baked Feta Pasta recipe. Inspired by the viral TikTok sensation, this easy pasta dinner is some serious deliciousness!
A simple block of feta cheese is mixed with tomatoes, baked, and stirred together with olive oil and seasonings to make an easy oven-baked pasta sauce. The results are absolutely mouthwatering, and I’m here to tell you it’s the real deal! I grew up on this stuff and have loved it my entire life. I decided to take this nifty baked pasta recipe and play up the Mediterranean vibe by adding some of my favorite ingredients. It’s very similar to my Baked Feta appetizer, but it’s a lovely entree with elbow pasta mixed in!
Ingredients For Baked Feta Pasta
- Pasta: You’ll need 8 ounces of pasta. I almost always use low-carb pasta, but you can use whatever you like!
- Feta Cheese: One 8-ounce block of feta is the star of this show!
- Grape Tomatoes: I use 4 cups grape tomatoes for this pasta dish.
- Garlic: Mince three cloves of fresh garlic, or put it through a garlic press.
- Roasted Red Pepper: Usually sold in jars or cans near the pickles and olives, ½ cup of roasted red pepper strips add a delicious flavor to this pasta dish.
- Olives: You’ll need ½ cup of sliced black olives.
- Oregano and Thyme: These dried herbs add a special Mediterranean flair to the sauce.
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil: For drizzling, about two tablespoons.
- Basil: thinly slice (chiffonade) 6 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish.
- Parsley: You’ll need 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish.
How to Make Mediterranean Baked Feta Pasta
One reason recipes like this go viral is definitely the easiness factor! We all want to feel like we can actually accomplish the dish, right? And this one actually is as easy as it looks – you’ll see.
- Prep the Oven and Macaroni. Preheat the oven to 425˚F, and also boil the macaroni in a large pot according to the package directions.
- Bake the Feta. While the macaroni cooks, place the block of feta in the center of a large baking dish. Arrange the grape tomatoes, red pepper strips, and olives around the feta. Season with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper; drizzle with oil. Gently mix to coat and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Mix the “Sauce.” Remove the dish from the oven; the tomatoes should be soft. Using the back of a spoon, press the feta until creamy, and gently stir everything together until combined. Stir in the basil and parsley.
- Add the Pasta to the Sauce. Drain the macaroni well, and then add to the feta-sauce. Stir gently to combine. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with basil and parsley. Serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use the Right Feta. While I think this dish would be delicious no matter what feta cheese you use, you’ll probably have the best results using brined feta. It tends to be creamier, tastier, and will make a richer sauce.
- Use the Right Tomatoes. This is a perfect recipe for cherry or grape tomatoes. While it would still be delicious with chopped Roma or beefsteak tomatoes, the texture and sweetness of smaller, more vibrant tomatoes are perfect once they’re baked and crushed together with the other ingredients.
- Use a Small to Medium Pasta. Some of the videos I’ve seen of this dish use large pasta shapes, but I think elbows, farfalle, and other smaller pasta shapes are a great choice. They blend together with the cheese and tomatoes more easily and create a more pleasing bite!
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve pasta with something simple, like salad and breadsticks, but you can also serve it with this side dish of easy Garlic Broccolini or these delicious Crispy Sweet Potato Wedges. My No-Rise Slow Cooker Basil Pesto Bread goes perfectly with the Mediterranean flavors of the pasta, and so does this Cobb Salad. Have a slice of this Olive Oil Cake and a cup of Cinnamon Dolce Latte to end a perfect meal.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To store this pasta, just place any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for one to two days.
- To reheat, place leftovers in a covered skillet on low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If the pasta seems a little dry, you can add a splash of water or a bit of olive oil, or both.
More Pasta Dinner Ideas to Try
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Tomato One Pot Pasta
- Chicken Piccata Pasta
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta
- French Onion Pasta
Mediterranean Baked Feta Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, (I use these low carb macaroni)
- 1 8-ounces block feta cheese, (you can also use fat free feta cheese)
- 4 cups grape tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup roasted red pepper strips, usually sold in jars or cans
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade), plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Cook macaroni according to the package directions.
- In the meantime, place block of feta in the center of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Add tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and olives around the feta; season everything with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in the garlic.
- Drizzle tomatoes and top of feta with olive oil; gently stir around the tomatoes to coat with the oil.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until feta is soft and tomatoes are bursting.
- Remove from oven.
- With the back of a spoon, press down on the block of feta cheese to make it creamy; then gently stir everything together until completely combined.
- Stir in sliced basil and parsley.
- Drain pasta.
- Add pasta to the feta sauce; stir to combine.
- Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Some feta is saltier, especially the ones sold in brine, so you may or may not need to add more salt.
- Garnish pasta with more basil and parsley.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
