Baked feta pasta started in Finland, where a food blogger named Jenni Häyrinen created a dish called “Uunifetapasta” in 2019. It became popular in her country, but it really took off when it was shared on TikTok. People loved watching how simple ingredients turned into a creamy pasta dish, and soon millions of people were making it at home. This dish became a favorite around the world. In this version, adding cream cheese makes the sauce even smoother and tastier.
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes
- Feta cheese (whole block)
- Cream cheese (broken up)
- Garlic (crushed)
- Olive oil (reserve some for drizzling the feta)
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne and crushed red pepper
- Dried parsley
- rotini pasta (cooked and drained)
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese (grated)
- Salt
How To Make Baked Feta Cheese and Tomato Pasta
In a baking dish, toss together the cherry tomatoes, feta, cream cheese, and crushed garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. Finish by sprinkling dried parsley evenly on top.
Pour a bit of olive oil over the feta and tomatoes.
Place the dish in a preheated oven and bake for around 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the feta turns golden. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni pasta as per the package directions, then drain and set it aside.
When the feta and tomatoes are finished baking, take the dish out of the oven and use a fork to gently mash the feta, stirring it together with the tomatoes until everything is well blended.
Mix in the heavy cream and grated parmesan, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Add the cooked rigatoni and toss it in the sauce until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
How To Store
Baked feta cheese pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also prepare it ahead by storing the assembled feta mixture in a casserole dish and keeping the cooked pasta separate. When ready to serve, simply combine and bake. The unbaked sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before use.
Top Tips
- Undercook the pasta for a minute or two, then finish cooking it in the sauce. This method helps the pasta absorb the sauce and brings all the flavors together.
- Choose pasta shapes that complement the sauce. Heavier, creamier sauces work well with tubular pasta like rigatoni, while lighter sauces pair nicely with long pasta like spaghetti.
Baked Feta And Cream Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz feta cheese whole block
- 4 oz cream cheese broken up
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta cooked and drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, cream cheese, crushed garlic, and olive oil. Season with black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle dried parsley over the top.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the feta and tomatoes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are bursting and the feta is golden.
- While baking, cook the rigatoni pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Once the feta and tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and use a fork to mix everything together, mashing the feta as it combines with the tomatoes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese until smooth.
- Add the cooked rigatoni pasta to the creamy mixture and toss until well coated. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with extra parsley if desired.