Feta pasta is the TikTok feta pasta recipe that went viral. I made the original baked feta pasta with feta cheese and tomato pasta but ended up adding cream cheese after trying the TikTok pasta recipe. Now it’s a rich and super creamy feta tomato pasta dish that the pasta recipes with feta were missing!
Good feta recipes can be hard to come by but we have a collection of our best tasting Feta Cheese Recipes, for you to make! Try this feta tomato pasta bake, Feta salad with Shrimp and Couscous, or this Moldovian Feta Cheese Pie that has been a family favorite for years!
TikTok Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
It’s true, TikTok pasta is a thing and the feta pasta idea was created by Jenni Häyrinen who created the dish back in 2019, calling it “Uunifetapasta,” (Finnish word for oven-baked feta pasta.) After all, it is a simple dish to make as you’d place a block of feta cheese into the center of plump cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and pepper flakes then bake. However, after making the feta cheese pasta the first time around I thought it needed tweaking.
It wasn’t as creamy as I had thought and certainly didn’t need any additional salt as feta cheese is already very salty here in the United States. So, I made this tomato feta pasta with cream cheese, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese and boy has the Tik Tok feta pasta game gone up a notch! It’s incredibly flavorful and super creamy and you won’t taste any harsh feta cheese or strong spiciness from the pepper flakes. It’s like creamy alfredo pasta but with a subtle feta cheese concoction thanks to the other cheeses that come to play.
Did I mention how easy this pasta recipe was? It’s one of the most-easy pasta recipes to try yet! So after trying the popular variation, I tested it out with more cheese, more pasta, and more tomatoes to accommodate a pound of pasta. I can gladly report it was a success and kid-approved by our family!
What Is Feta Cheese?
Feta is a compact and heavily salted cheese that originated in Greece. It is usually made from sheep’s milk or goat’s milk and sometimes sold crumbled or in smaller pieces for salads. Different types of milk can be used for the production, however, goat’s milk contains lipase enzyme, which will impart a stronger flavor. We call this white cheese “Brynza” in Ukrainian.
If it’s too strong for your taste, know that it easily dilutes in the cheese sauce and is cut back in the saltiness by a lot thanks to the cream cheese in this recipe. Similar cheeses are Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese which can be used for feta pasta if salted generously, additional cream or milk may be required to compensate for the moistened cheese in the brine.
Baked Feta Pasta Ingredients:
The feta pasta TikTok is made from cherry tomatoes, feta, and pasta. I used the viral feta pasta base and built from there adding more creamy ingredients so you’re still getting all the classic flavors only way better! This pasta is made of;
- Cherry Tomatoes- grape tomatoes or Cherubs small salad tomatoes can be used for making this feta pasta.
- Feta Cheese- comes in 8 oz blocks that are usually available in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores. Use the block over crumbled feta.
- Garlic- some pasta recipes use lots of fresh garlic and it gives tons of pungent flavor!
- Olive Oil- extra virgin olive oil is what I used.
- Seasoning- the spices in this dish are simple yet very flavorful, use black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, red crushed pepper flakes, and dried parsley.
- Pasta- I used ziti pasta, however, most dried pasta will work.
- Heavy Cream- adds richness and creaminess paired with the cheeses.
- Cream Cheese- bakes along with the feta cheese and makes this feta and tomato pasta super creamy!
- Parmesan Cheese- Tiktok pasta feta didn’t call for any but I thought it was appropriate to make
How To Make Feta Pasta:
This baked feta pasta recipe is not necessarily a pasta bake. To make baked feta pasta like Tiktok, you’ll need to bake the feta cheese with tomatoes, and olive oil first. Then the cooked pasta gets tossed into the creamy mixture only with a few changes. In order to make pasta sauce super creamy here, you’ll need to bake the block cheeses with the tomatoes before tossing them together with the pasta.
- Add cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and spices to a baking dish.
- Place a block of feta cheese in the middle and drizzle with more oil and pepper flakes.
- Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Give it a stir and add any pasta of choice.
- Serve.
Tip: the original recipe bakes for 30 minutes at 400°F then at 450°F for 10 more minutes. This makes the cherry tomatoes burst open and turns the pasta sauce red/orange. I like my cherry tomatoes soft but still holding their shape so I don’t bake mine until they blister too much.
What Pasta Types to Use For Feta Pasta?
In the Feta TikTok Pasta Video that had over 3.4 million views rotini pasta was used. Other popular types of pasta used for this feta tomato pasta recipe is Cavatappi, Campanelle, Bowtie, and ziti. However, any short type of pasta will work such as penne pasta, Rigatoni, Fusilli pasta, and Gemelli. Spiral or cork-screw pasta works great as well as spaghetti, Capellini, and Pappardelle. There are also many healthy pasta options to use such as whole wheat pasta, a popular brand for pasta dishes is Barilla pasta.
How long you cook pasta will depend on whether it’s fresh pasta or dried. Fresh pasta boils quicker than some dried variations. Refer to package instructions for certain types of pasta.
Feta Pasta Trends Variations:
There are so many ways to dress pasta with feta cheese! Feta cheese can be paired with extra protein from salmon or any type of seafood and meat, just have the proteins cooked and ready to stir in. Vegetables also make great add-ins, however, you’ll want to roast the veggies with the cherry tomatoes. Here are pasta dinner ideas for feta tomato pasta.
- Spinach Feta Pasta: baked spinach and feta pasta exist! Add 8 oz of fresh spinach to the cherry tomatoes before baking.
- Olive Variation: Add 1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives or black olives.
- Chicken: Add 11/2 pounds of cooked chicken breast strips to the pasta.
- Asparagus Feta Pasta: roast of trimmed and cut
- Mushroom Pasta: Add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms to the tomatoes.
- Basil: add 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves or basil pesto to the tomatoes for superior flavor.
- Broccoli: chop up 1 small head of green broccoli and add it to the tomatoes for roasting.
- Squash or Zucchini: cut up 1 or 2 zucchinis to the tomatoes and bake.
You don’t have to serve pasta dishes with feta cheese! Serve this up with a lemon orzo or healthy grains like rice.
What To Serve With This Baked Feta Pasta:
Since this feta pasta recipe is similar to a creamy alfredo pasta dish it goes with a Zesty Cucumber Salad or a Greek Caesar Salad. Tomato and Feta Pasta go with so many side dishes, here are some ideas:
- French Bread
- Shrimp Scampi Fritta Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Hot Mushroom Canapes with Bacon
- Broccoli Salad Recipe
- Serve with a side of Pasta e Fagioli Soup (with Ditalini pasta) or Zuppa Toscana (with sausage.)
Q&A
Can you Freeze Pasta?
You can freeze cooked pasta, however, preferably unbaked without the feta tomato sauce. Once the sauce roasts in the oven it is prone to separate with excessive reheating. Therefore it’s best to heat it up once in the oven.
Can I Use Gluten-Free Pasta?
Any type of pasta can be used for making this tomato feta pasta recipe! Including brown rice pasta which is gluten-free.
How Much Pasta per Person?
An adult serving of pasta is typically 1 cup of cooked pasta which is equivalent to 2 ounces. Children’s servings can be around 1/4-1/2 cup of cooked pasta depending on the age.
How To Cook Pasta?
Wondering how to boil pasta? Pasta cooking times will vary on the type of pasta and whether it’s dried or fresh. Dried kinds of pasta typically take longer to boil than fresh pasta. For example, I boiled my dried ziti pasta for an additional minute than the al dente time on the package, which took a total of 13 minutes to cook for this creamy pasta recipe. Whereas fresh ziti would take up to 4 minutes to boil. Use the package instructions as a guide and if you prefer softer noodles, simply add an additional minute or so to the cooking time.
Keep in mind that the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles, so how long to cook fresh pasta will depend on that.
How Many Calories In This Pasta?
An adult serving of pasta is usually 1 cup of cooked pasta (or 2 ounces of dried pasta.) There are about 8 adult servings from a pound of pasta. This brings a serving of pasta to about 641 calories with the pasta sauce.
How To Reheat Feta Pasta?
Wondering how to reheat pasta without the sauce separating? The key is to reheat as minimal as possible. Excessive reheating can separate the creamy sauce and you’ll know when after the sauce is looking greasy rather than creamy. Try to reheat the baked feta pasta no longer than 2 times after it has been baked.
To Reheat microwave in the oven in 1-minute intervals until hot. You can also place leftovers into a small baking dish and bake covered at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until hot. Another option is to place a few servings into a non-stick pan and heat until warmed thoroughly.
How Long Does Pasta Last In the Fridge?
Storing Feta Pasta:
Baked Feta cheese pasta (Tiktok), can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also make ahead, this feta pasta bake by storing the assembled feta cheese in a casserole and keeping the cooked pasta separately. Then prepare as directed before serving. The unbaked pasta sauce is good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How To Thicken Pasta Sauce?
Adding creamy cheeses or good melting cheese is a great way to make the white cheese sauce creamy for pasta! Cheese works as a great thickener especially if want to go gluten-free!
Best Pasta Tips:
- Roast the tomato cheese sauce until the tomatoes burst for an orange/red pasta hue.
- Make this Keto or Low-carb by omitting the pasta carbs with a healthy grain or healthy pasta.
- Feta cherry tomato pasta can be made with 24 oz of chunked beefsteak tomatoes.
- Don’t want to do a feta bake? Baked feta and tomato pasta, can be replaced with cream cheese just add salt to taste!
- This famous feta tomato pasta on TikTok is a super easy food to make for dinner or lunch!
- Feta cheese is a Greek or Moldovian (Brinza) brined white cheese made from sheep’s, goat’s, or cow’s milk and is salty so be sure to go easy on the salt or omit it completely. It does have a grainy and crumbly texture so be careful with the block when handling.
- Make it a healthy dish by substituting a healthy pasta.
- This feta sauce accommodates enough for a 1-pound box of pasta.
- Pasta water is not required since we enriching the sauce with cream.
- Any short pasta and extra virgin olive oil are preferred.
- Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for reddish pasta sauce or roast the tomatoes longer.
- Substitute Goat cheese with garlic and herbs for a flavorful twist.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Shrimp Alfredo– is one of my favorite shrimp pasta recipes.
- Fettuccine Alfredo– make this a chicken pasta recipe by adding grilled chicken strips.
- Creamy Parmesan Garlic Angel Hair Pasta
A special thanks to my friend Alina, who shared her sister’s version of the Baked Feta Pasta Recipe. She adds 2 Tbsp of tomato paste and omits the cream cheese, which I have adapted from. You need to try this version with cream cheese!
How To Make Feta Pasta:
Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish (for roasting tomatoes and feta)
- 1 8-quart pot (for cooking pasta)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz feta cheese (whole block)
- 6 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 5 Tbsp Olive Oil (reserve 1 Tbsp for drizzling the feta)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 11/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne and crushed red pepper
- 3 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 lb ziti pasta (cooked and drained)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
Instructions
Directions:
- Add cherry tomatoes, 4 Tbsp of olive oil, and spices to a 9x13 baking dish; (black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and dried parsley.)
- Place a block of feta cheese in the middle and dollop the tomatoes with cream cheese chunks then drizzle with 1 more Tbsp of oil.
- Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes and remove from the oven. (Bake for 15 more minutes if you want the tomatoes to burst open.)
- Add the cream, and parmesan cheese and give it a stir then add any pasta of choice. Serve.
Notes
- This is not a spicy pasta recipe, there is a subtle hint of spiciness but it's very mild.
- We have adjusted the creamy feta cheese sauce to accommodate a one-pound box of pasta.