Baked Feta Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Printable Version)

Creamy baked feta combined with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and pasta for a flavorful meal.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz feta cheese block

→ Vegetables

02 - 1.1 lb whole cherry tomatoes
03 - 3.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Pasta

06 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Herbs & Seasoning

07 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - 1 tsp dried basil
10 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Lemon zest

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large baking dish, combine whole cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced garlic, and red onion if using. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the baking dish and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top.
04 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is golden and softened.
05 - While baking, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven and mash the feta and tomatoes together with a fork or spoon to create a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water to the baking dish, tossing thoroughly to coat the pasta in the sauce.
08 - Fold in the fresh torn basil leaves and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
09 - Serve warm, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest if desired.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a naturally creamy sauce without any cream, making you feel clever and virtuous while eating something deeply indulgent.
  • One pan, mostly hands-off cooking—the oven does the heavy lifting while you're free to set the table or pour a glass of wine.
  • The flavor gets better the longer the pasta sits, so this is actually one of those rare dishes that makes excellent leftovers.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not optional—it's what transforms mashed feta and tomatoes into something that actually coats the pasta. Don't drain your pasta and throw the water away or you'll end up with a dry, disappointing dish.
  • Don't skip the roasting step by just mixing everything together raw. The heat is what makes the tomatoes burst and the feta melt; without it, you have salad, not pasta.
  • Taste as you go at the end. The saltiness depends on your feta and how much salt you added to the pasta water, so you might need less seasoning than the recipe suggests.
03 -
  • Room temperature feta mashes more smoothly than cold feta, so take it out of the fridge thirty minutes before cooking if you remember.
  • If your tomatoes aren't very flavorful (winter ones especially), add a pinch of sugar to the baking dish to coax out their sweetness—it won't taste sweet, just more like tomato.
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