Save The first time I made this, I was standing in my kitchen on a rainy Wednesday evening, staring at a block of feta and wondering if I could actually pull off something that looked this good. My roommate had sent me a TikTok link with no context, just a heart emoji, and suddenly I was committed to baking an entire brick of cheese surrounded by tomatoes. Forty-five minutes later, the smell alone made me understand why this dish had taken over the internet. But more importantly, I understood why it stayed with me.
I made this for my sister on her birthday, and watching her face when she took that first bite was the kind of small moment you don't forget. She'd been stressed about work, life, all of it, and somehow this simple combination of baked cheese and bursting tomatoes became the thing that made her stop and just breathe. It's funny how food does that sometimes. It's not fancy, but it's exactly what you need without knowing you need it.
Ingredients
- Feta cheese (200 g block): Don't crumble it yet—the whole block is key because it gets creamy and sauce-like as it bakes. Look for quality feta if you can; the tanginess of a good one completely changes the dish.
- Cherry tomatoes (500 g, whole): Leave them whole so they blister and burst in the oven, releasing their sweet juice into the feta. Any color variety makes it prettier and adds subtle flavor differences.
- Sun-dried tomatoes (100 g, drained and chopped): These are the depth charge of the recipe. They add concentrated tomato flavor and a slight chew that keeps the dish from feeling one-dimensional.
- Garlic (3 cloves, thinly sliced): Slice them thin so they mellow slightly in the oven rather than turning sharp. You want them to perfume the whole dish.
- Red onion (1 small, thinly sliced, optional): If you use it, you get little pockets of sweet sharpness that balance the richness of the cheese beautifully.
- Short pasta (350 g): Penne, fusilli, or rigatoni all work because they catch the creamy feta sauce in their ridges and shapes. Don't use long thin pasta; it won't hold the sauce right.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (4 tbsp): This is your medium and flavor base, so use something you'd actually taste on salad. The quality matters here.
- Dried oregano and basil (1 tsp each): These anchor the Mediterranean flavor. Fresh would be nice but dried actually works better because they infuse as everything roasts.
- Red pepper flakes (½ tsp, optional): A small amount adds warmth and complexity without making it spicy if you're subtle about it.
- Fresh basil leaves (½ cup, torn): This goes in at the very end and brings brightness and a whisper of freshness that cuts through all the richness.
- Parmesan and lemon zest (for garnish): Both are optional but recommended. They add a final sharpness and fragrance that makes you feel a little fancy.
Instructions
- Heat your oven and build your base:
- Preheat to 200°C (400°F). In a large baking dish, combine your cherry tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sliced garlic, and onion if using. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes over everything. Toss it all together with your hands or a spoon so the oil coats everything evenly and the herbs wake up a bit.
- Give the feta its throne:
- Place the whole block of feta right in the center of your tomato mixture. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top, then season everything—especially the feta—with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper. It should look a little chaotic and rustic at this point, which is exactly right.
- Let the oven do the work:
- Slide everything into the oven for 30–35 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the tomatoes have burst and are starting to caramelize at the edges, and the feta has turned a light golden color on top and is visibly soft. The aroma will be incredible, which is the main reason to check on it.
- Cook pasta while everything roasts:
- While the oven is working, get a large pot of salted water boiling. Cook your pasta according to package directions, but aim for it to be done right around the time the baking dish comes out. Before you drain it, reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water—this is your secret ingredient for making the sauce silky.
- Mash it into creamy magic:
- When the baking dish comes out, use a fork or spoon to gently mash the softened feta and the burst tomatoes together directly in the dish. Don't make it perfectly smooth; you want visible chunks of feta mixed with the tomato juice. This is what becomes your sauce.
- Bring it all together:
- Add your drained pasta to the baking dish with the feta-tomato mixture. Pour in about ¼ cup of that reserved pasta water and toss everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure each piece of pasta gets coated in the creamy, tomatoey sauce. If it looks too dry, add a splash more pasta water.
- Finish with fresh basil and taste:
- Tear in the fresh basil leaves and give everything one more gentle toss. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If you want it more lemony or herbaceous, now's the moment to say so.
Save There's a moment right before you toss everything together when you can smell the caramelized tomatoes and warm feta, and your whole kitchen smells like a vacation you're suddenly living in. That's when you know you're about to make something that tastes like more effort than it actually took. That's the magic of this recipe—it feels generous without being complicated, and it looks like you spent hours when really you just let the oven do the heavy lifting.
The Story Behind This Dish
This recipe is a modern classic that somehow feels both trendy and timeless at the same time. It hit the internet and stuck around because it's genuinely delicious, not because of hype. What gets lost in all the viral videos is that it's essentially a celebration of Mediterranean flavors—the kind of food people have been eating for centuries, just presented in a way that makes it feel new. Every time I make it, I'm struck by how a simple baked cheese and tomatoes in the oven can taste like you've been cooking all day.
Making It Your Own
This recipe is genuinely flexible in the ways that matter. The base of feta, tomatoes, and olive oil is non-negotiable, but everything else is negotiable. I've added kalamata olives, toasted pine nuts, fresh thyme, a crumble of dried chili, caramelized garlic, roasted red peppers—whatever I had lying around or whatever mood I was in. The dish is forgiving enough to handle it, and confident enough to still taste good. That's the mark of a good recipe, I think. It knows what it is, but it's not precious about it.
Variations and Flavor Swaps
If you want to stretch this into something different, you have options. Fresh tomatoes during tomato season are absolutely incredible here, especially if you cut them in half. Roasted garlic instead of raw is silkier and sweeter. A splash of balsamic vinegar in with the tomatoes adds earthiness. Spinach wilted into it at the end makes it feel a little more substantial. Crumbled goat cheese instead of feta makes it lighter and brighter, though you lose some of the salinity that feta brings. The only rule is that whatever you add should feel like it belongs in a Mediterranean kitchen, not like you're testing random ingredients.
- Kalamata olives, toasted pine nuts, or torn fresh basil are easy ways to add texture and interest without changing the core identity of the dish.
- A squeeze of lemon juice right before serving brightens everything up and cuts through the richness in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental.
- If you have fresh herbs growing on a windowsill or in a garden, use them generously—they make this feel like you're cooking from a place of abundance rather than pantry staples.
Save This is one of those recipes that reminds you why cooking matters. It's simple enough to make on a Tuesday without thinking too hard, but it tastes good enough to make you feel like you did something special. That's the best kind of cooking, I think.
Kitchen Guide
- → Can I use gluten-free pasta for this dish?
Yes, gluten-free pasta works well and can be substituted to accommodate dietary needs without affecting flavor.
- → How do I know when the feta is ready?
The feta should turn golden and soft, and the tomatoes will burst, releasing their juices to meld into the sauce.
- → Can I add additional vegetables?
Absolutely! Chopped Kalamata olives or toasted pine nuts can be added before serving for extra texture and flavor.
- → What herbs complement this pasta best?
Dried oregano and basil are baked in, while fresh basil tossed at the end enhances the vibrant Mediterranean profile.
- → Is it possible to make a vegan version?
Yes, replace the feta with a vegan alternative and adjust other ingredients to maintain the creamy, rich texture.