Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake (Baked Feta Pasta Copycat!)
Feb 02, 2021 • Updated Feb 07, 2024
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The viral Baked Feta Pasta gets a vegan and gluten-free makeover in this copycat, creamy vegan pasta bake! Made with cherry tomatoes, vegan feta, and gluten-free pasta in a savory, garlicky sauce for a perfect weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
What is Baked Feta Pasta?
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, which is 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.
What Makes This Recipe Great
When I saw this recipe, the first thing I wondered was whether I could make a Baked Feta Pasta copycat that was completely vegan and gluten-free. The answer is yes, and this easy vegan pasta bake recipe is my proof!
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 favorite 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.
This comfort food dish comes together in under 30 minutes, uses only 3 key ingredients, and is a weeknight meal that you can meal prep beforehand to make it even quicker. With only 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking, you are in for a filling, satisfying meal in no time!
Ingredient Notes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Violife vegan feta cheese: This is pretty easy to find in the dairy-free cheese section of your local grocery store or specialty market.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Dried Oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Gluten-free pasta of choice: Use your favorite brand and whatever kind of pasta you prefer. For extra protein, I recommend chickpea pasta or lentil pasta. If you’re not gluten-free, use your favorite pasta noodles.
- Fresh basil
- Optional add-ins: lemon zest to taste, red chili flakes, and other herbs of choice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 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.
- 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, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Prepare your pasta according to package directions, drain it, and set it aside. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water if needed to make the creamy sauce a bit creamier and thinner.
- As the pasta cooks, remove the casserole dish from the oven. 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.
- Serve warm with vegan garlic bread, a side salad, or by itself! Garnish with additional fresh herbs, vegan parmesan cheese, and/or red pepper flakes, and enjoy!
Secrets to Success
- I find that tubular pasta works really well in casseroles and bakes because the sauce and cheese fill the tubes and give flavor to every bite! Use penne pasta or your favorite tube if desired.
- 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 it results in a thinner sauce.
- To make a gluten-free baked feta pasta, all you need to do is use your favorite 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!
Storage Tips
Meal Prep: 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 facelift.
Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, you can store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, store it in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. 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 your vegan pasta bake a second life.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Dishes
15 Minute Vegan Caprese Pasta Salad
Green Bean and Almond Gremolata Pasta
Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake (Baked Feta Pasta Copycat!)
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 8×11" 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
Secrets to Success
- I find that tubular pasta works really well in casseroles and bakes because the sauce and cheese fill the tubes and give flavor to every bite! Use penne pasta or your favorite tube if desired.
- 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 it results in a thinner sauce.
- To make a gluten-free baked feta pasta, all you need to do is use your favorite 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!
- 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.
Storage Tips
Meal Prep: 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 facelift. Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, you can store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, store it in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. 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 your vegan pasta bake a second life.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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