Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (vegan, gluten free)
Feb 02, 2021 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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How to Make Baked Feta Pasta from TikTok
Today I present to you a magical TikTok pasta recipe, Vegan Baked Feta Pasta! First there was the Dalgona coffee trend, then there was pancake cereal, and more recently, the tortilla hack, still making its rounds. And now, the food trend taking over Tiktok and beyond? An oven baked tomato feta pasta. The TikTok pasta recipe has been going viral on the app and on other social media platforms, so much so that my boyfriend, who does not use TikTok, knew what it was before I could even finish explaining it to him.
The original creator of the recipe, or idea, supposedly is in dispute. As a recipe developer myself, I like to give credit where credit is due and the story is that blogger Tiiu Piret may have been the first to conceptualize the dish, but Jenni Häyrinen is to thank for its virality. I’ve checked with a few Finnish friends of mine who have vouched that as a result of this dish going viral, the supermarkets really have been sold out of feta cheese.
So how do you make it? The recipe is fairly simple. You start by tossing cherry tomatoes and garlic into a baking dish, drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper. You toss a chunk of feta cheese into the center of the dish, add oregano and bake.
Once the tomatoes have burst, you crush them and stir the feta into the mix. Finally, you toss cooked pasta right into the dish and stir to coat. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and voila! Baked Feta Pasta.
Is This Recipe Vegan?
When I saw this recipe, the first thing I wondered was whether I could make a vegan Baked Feta Pasta. The answer is yes! I decided to use vegan store-bought feta, which makes it fairly easy to replicate the original dish with just one ingredient swap! Violife brand of vegan feta is my personal favourite store-bought option, however you can use a homemade vegan feta if you prefer. The appeal of this recipe is the quick and easy method, so I really enjoyed using store bought feta but again, do as you see fit.
A quick note on the vegan feta–as it is coconut oil based, I found that it was best to bake it for less time than the original non-vegan recipe suggests. If you bake it for too long, it can melt down almost completely which is okay, but results in a thinner sauce. It will reconstitute as it cools but who wants cold pasta???
To make a gluten free baked feta pasta, all you need to do is use your favourite gluten free pasta. I opted to use spiral lentil based pasta to add a little more protein to the dish, and balance out the meal. Really any gluten free pasta will do the trick!
Make-Ahead Baked Pasta
You can prepare this pasta dish in advance by prepping all of the ingredients in a baking dish and covering until you’re ready to bake. Another great way to save time and food waste is to use leftover cooked pasta. it cuts down the cooking time and really gives your leftovers a face lift.
If you have any leftovers, you can store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 3-4 days or in the freezer and microwave to enjoy again. You may want to add a drizzle of olive oil when re-heating and a garnish of fresh basil to give it a second life.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes
- 15 Minute Vegan Caprese Pasta Salad
- Green Bean and Almond Gremolata Pasta
- No-Blend Vegan Cacio E Pepe
- One-Pot Taco Pasta by Sweet Simple Vegan
- Vegan Lemon Ricotta Pasta by From My Bowl
Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (vegan, gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 package cherry tomatoes roughly 16oz
- 1 block Violife vegan feta cheese roughly 8oz
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic smashed or minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano or italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz gluten free pasta of choice I used lentil based spirals
- handful fresh basil chopped
- optional add-ins
- lemon zest to taste
- red chili flakes
- other herbs of choice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F. In an 8x11" baking dish, add whole cherry tomatoes and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat.
- In the center of the dish, add your vegan feta cheese block. Season with oregano, salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes or until tomatoes are juicy and ready to burst. Meanwhile, prepare your pasta according to package directions and set aside.
- Remove the dish from the oven and using a spoon or spatula, crush the tomatoes and feta and stir to create your sauce base. Toss cooked pasta into the dish along with fresh basil and stir to coat.
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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