How do you make mermaid baked feta pasta?

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Meanwhile, place the feta, tomatoes, and garlic in an oven-safe baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and add the chili flakes and Italian seasoning. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes burst and the feta cheese melts.

How long does feta pasta last in the fridge?

If you have leftover baked feta pasta, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days . Reheat it in a skillet over low heat; if it looks dry, stir in a teaspoon of olive oil to reconstitute the sauce.

What is feta pasta made of?

Baked Feta Pasta (TikTok Pasta) The ever so popular Baked Feta Pasta! It's a hearty dish made with roasted tomatoes, creamy lightly tangy feta, al dente pasta, and fresh spinach and herbs .

Why is baked pasta so good?

" Since the pasta's already hydrated, it won't rob your sauce of liquid, and the heat from the oven is more than enough to cook it while the casserole bakes ," he wrote. "If you taste them side by side, you can't tell the difference between precooked pasta and simply soaked pasta."

Feta cheese contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that offer health benefits such as improving bone health, boosting immunity, and lowering the risk of anemia .

Does feta go bad easily?

Although unopened feta can last for as long as six months in the fridge, as soon as you open it, this timeframe shortens to only seven days . Thankfully, extending the shelf life of this dairy product is as simple as storing it in olive oil after opening, which can maintain its freshness for two to three weeks.

Can you eat feta cheese left out overnight?

Generally, feta cheese should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours .

Why is Greek feta so good?

Brining is an essential part of what makes Feta unique . The cheese is traditionally made with sheep's milk, although up to 30 percent of the milk can come from goats. Feta has a tangy, fresh and briny flavor and a creamy yet crumbly texture. Sheep's milk imparts a buttery richness, and goat's milk adds acidity.

What is the difference between feta and Greek feta?

French Feta is made with Lacaune sheep's milk (if you remember, that's the sheep breed used for Roquefort production). It has a softer and creamier texture that Greek Feta and a milder, less tangy flavor (though it's sharper than Israeli Feta).

Why is feta only made in Greece?

This is because the particular flavours of feta are only possible when sheep and goats are grazed on the unique flora of Greece .

What type of feta is best for baking?

Use quality feta cheese. Find creamy Greek feta . French or Bulgarian white cheese will work great too (which are like feta but can not be given the term because Greece has the PDO for the term “feta”). Do not use crumbled feta, which is too dry and will not work as well in this recipe.

Why is my feta not melting in the oven?

To make sure your feta melts in the oven, use good-quality feta with a creamy texture and coat it with a good amount of olive oil to bake at a high-temperature oven (400° - 425° F) .

What do you do with the liquid in feta cheese?

These days, I'm using it in everything from pots of brown rice, to tofu prep, to salad dressings . To me, feta brine is perfect in every way. It's salty as all get-out, subtly creamy, and best of all, already in my refrigerator.

How to make feta melty?

Instructions Preheat the broiler. Drizzle the olive oil into a small ceramic or metal baking dish that can also double as a serving dish. Combine the cheeses, black pepper and wine. Broil about 8 inches from the heat source in the center of the oven. ... Remove and serve the cheesy, melty, oozy feta-graviera!

Confirmed: The TikTok-Viral Baked Feta Pasta Is Worth The Hype (2024)

4.6

58 Ratings

Yields:: 3 - 4 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 5 mins
Total Time:: 45 mins
Cal/Serv:: 938

Jump to recipe

This is the story of another viral TikTok trend that I kinda wanted to hate...but didn't. It's not that I didn't think the idea sounded delicious, it’s just that the whole thing seemed too simple. Obviously roasting a block of feta with bursting tomatoes is going to be amazing, but is it good enough to break the internet? The answer: yes…simply, yes. With roasted tomatoes and sharp, tangy feta, this baked pasta dish is undeniably delicious. But the real beauty of this dish is its simplicity and versatility. It couldn’t be easier to make—the recipe itself is practically hands-off. Plus, you can really use the classic recipe as a jumping off point (like we did here) to make your ideal pasta dinner.

What People Are Saying:
"I made this last night and it was great! I followed the recipe exactly. it tasted even better today for lunch." – den5852

"I've got to say at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it…but after it was all done and on my plate I've got to say 'Delish' is the word for it. My husband said this is most definitely a weekly pasta and my son said it's one of, if not the, best pastas I’ve made." – jlp3731

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Ingredients

2 pt.
cherry or grape tomatoes
1
shallot, quartered
3
cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 c.
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1
(8-oz.) block feta
3
sprigs fresh thyme
10 oz.
pasta
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

1. Step1Preheat oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof skillet or medium baking dish, combine tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and all but 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.
2. Step2Place feta into center of tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoonoil. Scatter thyme sprigs over tomatoes.Bake for 40 to 45minutes, until tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top.
3. Step3Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al denteaccording to package directions. Reserve½ cup pasta water before draining.
4. Step4To skillet with tomatoes and feta, add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, and lemon zest (if using) and stir untilcombined. Garnish with basil.

How To Make Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients

Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes have just the right ratio of pulp to juice for this recipe. If you have a choice, go with cherry tomatoes—they burst and go jammy a little more readily than grape tomatoes. Plus, they look grand in the baking dish.
Shallot: Sweet, mild shallots marry beautifully with tomatoes. If you don’t have access to shallots, feel free to substitute an approximately equal quantity of diced red onion.
Olive Oil: If ½ cup of oil seems like a lot, bear in mind that the olive oil is the sauce here. All the other ingredients just merge with it.
Feta: A nice thick slab forms the centerpiece of this dish. Drain it well and handle gently to keep it intact.
Thyme: With its subtly minty, slightly lemony flavor, thyme brings a wonderful freshness to the party. Feel free to swap in oregano if you are so inclined.
Pasta: Short tubular pastas such as macaroni or cavatappi are ideal for this dish. They are easier to toss in the baking dish and I love the way the sauce hides inside them.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Get started by preheating your oven to 400°. While it’s heating up, quarter the shallot and smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef’s knife (for safety’s sake, press down the heel of your hand). Now add the tomatoes, shallot, and garlic to a medium (2-qt.) baking dish. If you don’t have a pretty oval baking dish like the one pictured, don’t let that stop you; any 13"x9" baking dish is perfect. Measure out ½ cup olive oil, then scoop out 1 tablespoon and set aside for drizzling. Pour the remaining olive oil over the tomatoes, season with salt and red pepper flakes, and toss to coat.

Place the feta on top of the tomatoes and drizzle with the reserved olive oil. Scatter thyme sprigs over the top.

Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the feta is golden and the tomatoes have burst and their juices are bubbling away. (Don’t expect the feta to melt—feta doesn’t do ooey-gooey—but it will soften and get creamy.) This will take 40–45 minutes. Meanwhile, seize the opportunity to boil the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Just before draining, scoop out ½ cup pasta water and set aside.

The tomatoes are jammy, the feta is creamy, what’s next? I recommend plucking out the thyme sprigs; the stems don't make great eating. Now add the pasta and reserved pasta liquid to the baking dish.

Finely grate lemon zest over if you like (I do!) and toss everything together. And that’s it—no further cooking required. How’s that for a baked pasta! Just garnish with basil and serve.

Recipe Tips

You don't need to change the oven temperature. The OG recipe calls for baking the feta with the tomatoes at 400° for 30 minutes then kicking up for the last 10 minutes. After 30 minutes in the oven, I found my feta well on its way to a pretty shade of golden on top. To avoid burning any extra additions like garlic and herbs, I think it's best to keep the temperature steady.
Amp up the tomatoes. While many recipes only call for one pint of tomatoes, after testing this recipe, I decided to add two for a fuller, more flavorful sauce.
Adding pasta water helps. A scoop of pasta water will help stretch your sauce to coat your pasta more smoothly and generously.

Baked Feta Pasta Variations

My top tip for making this pasta? Play around with it—add more than just tomatoes and feta. Quartered shallots will get nice and jammy, and smashed garlic will infuse the olive oil. Like spice? Throw in a ton of crushed red pepper flakes. Got thyme? Add a couple sprigs for an earthy touch. Not feeling feta? Swap it out for goat cheese or brie, like in our baked brie pasta.

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Confirmed: The TikTok-Viral Baked Feta Pasta Is Worth The Hype (2024)

Ingredients

Directions

How To Make Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients

Step-By-Step Instructions

Recipe Tips

Baked Feta Pasta Variations

Made This?

FAQs

How do you make mermaid baked feta pasta? ›

What type of feta is best for baking? ›