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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes

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Vegan Baked Feta Pasta Veggiekins Blog

Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (vegan, gluten free)


  • Author: Remy
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Easy baked feta pasta gets a vegan and gluten-free makeover with cherry tomatoes in a savory, garlicy sauce for a fast weeknight dinner.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 package cherry tomatoes (roughly 16oz)
  • 1 block Violife vegan feta cheese (roughly 8oz)
  • 34 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, or italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8oz 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

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F. In an 8×11″ baking dish, add whole cherry tomatoes and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Jenni Häyrinen. The original recipe calls for dairy-based feta cheese and double the olive oil. Because the vegan feta is coconut oil based, I found that the extra oil is not needed, however feel free to add more as desired. Of course, if you use a different brand of vegan feta, baking time and results will vary.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Baking

Keywords: pasta, finnish, tiktok, baked pasta, weeknight dinner, 30 minute meals, gluten free, pasta

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Filed under: Eat, Gluten Free, Main Dishes

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BY Remy • February 2, 2021

Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (vegan, gluten free)

Vegan Baked Feta Pasta Veggiekins Blog

leave a comment

  1. Hikamari says:
    I tried this pasta tonight and it was amazing! I used tri-color tomatoes and a little extra garlic than the original recipe. Once it was finished I put everything back in the oven for a few extra minutes so the sauce could absorb into the pasta. I served with a salad and vegan garlic bread. As always, this recipe came out wonderful! 10/10 will make again.

  2. Charlotte Shaw says:
    I LOVE this recipe!

  3. Ashley says:
    So easy and one of the most tasty meals I’ve had in a long time!! Will definitely make again!! 100000% recommend :))

  4. Nancy says:
    Made it tonight with Violife and Banza cavatappi pasta. It was delicious. Added crushed red pepper at the table. It definitely was more liquid than I think it would have been if using a dairy feta but it was still good. I started out just tomatoes/oil/garlic/oregano and then after ten minutes added the feta in the center and cooked it another 20 minutes. I think maybe next time I’ll try pulling it out after 15 additional minutes. Anyway, thank you for the guidance! I was glad to see someone else was doing a vegan version!

  5. Allie says:
    So yummy!!! I was behind the trend a little bit so glad that I was able to find someone who had written up a vegan version of this. All of your tips about timing for the violife feta were spot on. Thank you for the recipe!!

  6. Ashley says:
    This is so incredible! Not to mention the Violife feta cheese tastes exactly like the real thing!? What is this sorcery! Lol. My tomatoes actually did not burst open and the cheese was no where melted near the 20 min. mark but no worries! Just took out the baking dish, added a little pasta water, put back in for five minutes and that got everything rock and rollin. It got everything to break down just enough for perfectly creamy, not runny, sauce! I also added a handful of zucchini, spinach, roasted cashews, and thyme to the tomatoes before baking. Will be enjoying again! Thank you 😊

  7. Stephanie says:
    I my was awesome. I loved the dish. Thanks for the recipe!!
  8. DIANNE says:
    Oh, this was fantastic! Easy to make, quick to bake, and divinely delicious! In a terracotta casserole dish, I put the pound of cherry tomatoes and a pound of asparagus around the Violife feta block, sprinkled it with Mediterranean oregano, black pepper, and salt. Baked at 400 convection, tossed with the al dente gemelli and kept in the (still warm) for about 10 minutes until hubs was ready. Full disclosure: We ate the whole thing!

  9. Lorraine says:
    Have made this numerous times and is always delicious! I like to add a small jar of capers-kicks it up a notch.

  10. Ellen says:
    Our neighbors have a huge basket full of cherry tomatoes from his garden. Perfect time to try your recipe. So easy and was so good. Thank you.

  11. Haley says:
    My whole family (including 3 little kids) love this recipe! We use Barilla medium shells as we don't need GF, but keep everything else the same. It has become a regular in our home! Thanks for sharing!!

  12. Julia Paniello says:
    I made it with vegan feta, and it turned out great! This will definitely be one of my family's go to pasta dinners.

  13. Michelle Rhyne says:
    This was so good and easy to make. You pretty much throw all the ingredients in a pan and cook it. It was also so creamy. Can’t wait to make it again. Perfect for a quick dinner.

  14. Michelle Rhyne says:
    Loved making this recipe. It’s great if you just want to make something quick and easy. You pretty much put everything in a pan and cook. Can’t wait to make it again. #KinCookingClub

  15. Natalie Cole says:
    I really love how quick and easy this recipe is! I totally love the way it came out. I used orecchiette pasta for this and the sauce just gets into the shell. This is another recipe to add to my monthly meal rotation. #kincookingclub

  16. Lauren says:
    I made this for a dinner party for my vegan and non-vegan friends and we all loved it! The Violife cheese mixed with tomato and basil made the most delicious pasta sauce. I’ve made it again since, keeping the leftovers in the fridge and it has been perfect to bring to work for lunch. So simple and easy, definitely a staple recipe for me! #KinCookingClub

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Hi there, I’m Remy! Welcome to Veggiekins Blog, home to nourishing vegan + gluten-free recipes and tips to live your best balanced and holistic life. I’m a human on a mission to empower you to be well and be kind to your mind, body and soul with the healing power of plants.

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COPYRIGHT © 2020 Veggiekins   ☼   Website by Sunday Stories