This viral TikTok recipe originally came from Tiiu Piret, who posted a version of the dish on her blog in February 2018, fellow Finnish blogger Jenni Hayrinen is credited with making uunifetapasta (Finnish for “oven-baked feta pasta”) go viral in her country after posting her simplified version a year later. The stores actually ran out of feta cheese. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/02/11/baked-feta-pasta-recipe-tiktok/">See Washington Post article</a>. Because I am a lazy cook, this suits me to a tee! data-pin-do=)
Baked Feta Pasta Trend From TikTok
March 4, 2021
I usually view viral recipes with a raised eyebrow, though I have to admit, this is a brilliant method for making cheesy pasta with absolutely no effort. As I usually do, I changed it to suit my taste. Instead of using a block of feta cheese, I used goat cheese and used fresh thyme, and oregano instead of basil. I also added some onion. The beauty of this dish is that you can make it your own and use what you have on hand. I'm sure I will get a lot of flack for going off the rails, but tant pis (means too bad in French and also the name of our family cat - it's a long story!...)
This viral TikTok recipe originally came from Tiiu Piret, who posted a version of the dish on her blog in February 2018, fellow Finnish blogger Jenni Hayrinen is credited with making uunifetapasta (Finnish for “oven-baked feta pasta”) go viral in her country after posting her simplified version a year later. The stores actually ran out of feta cheese. See Washington Post article. Because I am a lazy cook, this suits me to a tee!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Ingredients
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8-ounce block feta (I used goat cheese)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
12 ounces medium-length dried pasta, such as campanelle, rigatoni, shells, or rotini
fresh basil leaves, for serving (I used fresh thyme and oregano)
Directions
1Preheat oven to 400° F.
2In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and ¼ cup of olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. Place the feta or goat cheese in the center of the tomatoes and garlic, top with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle the entire dish with red pepper flakes and a little black pepper. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the garlic has softened and the tomatoes have burst their skins.
3Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
4Mash the feta and tomatoes with a fork and mix until evenly combined. Mix the sauce with pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed if it looks a little dry. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. To serve, divide among bowls and top with plenty of basil leaves or fresh herbs of your choice.
2 Reviews
Maggie
March 4, 2021
You know, this looks like it would make a good dip, without the pasta. Just bake it all in a table-ready dish, serve with crackers and let people scoop out a bit of tomatoes, bit of cheese, bit of garlic…
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Leslie Blythe
March 4, 2021
Yes, I’ve seen some people do that. I am eating the leftovers for lunch while I type this. It really is so good! You could also use brie.