Baked Feta Pasta (TikTok Pasta)

The ever so popular Baked Feta Pasta! It's a hearty dish made with roasted tomatoes, creamy lightly tangy feta, al dente pasta, and fresh spinach and herbs. One of the easiest and tastiest recipes!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 pints (20 oz) grape tomatoes
• 5 medium garlic cloves, (peeled and halved)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt (and freshly ground black pepper)
• 7 - 8 oz. block feta cheese ((sheep's milk variety, such as Murray's), drained)
• 10 oz. dry pasta (such as campanelle, rigatoni, rotini, penne, bow tie, or cavatappi)
• 8 oz. spinach, (roughly chopped (8 packed cups))
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, (or more to taste)
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. 2Add grape tomatoes and garlic to a 3 quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place feta in the center of tomatoes, turn to coat with oil.
3. 3Bake in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4. 4Then remove the baking dish, raise oven rack up to upper 1/3 of the oven. Return baking dish to oven and increase oven to 450 degrees. Bake until tomatoes and cheese are starting to brown slightly, about 10 minutes longer.
5. 5Meanwhile boil pasta to al dente in salted water (I use 1 Tbsp salt and about 3 or 4 quarts of water), according to time listed on pasta package.
6. 6Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and right before draining pour and submerge spinach in with the pasta (it should wilt almost instantly). Drain pasta and spinach.
7. 7Smash the tomatoes, garlic, oil and feta together with the back of a wooden spoon. Toss pasta in with mixture along with basil, parsley and red pepper flakes.
8. 8Thin mixture with a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.