Baked Feta Pasta Sun-Dried (Printable)

A creamy pasta dish with baked feta, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs for rich flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz feta cheese block

→ Vegetables

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

→ Pasta

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

→ Herbs & Seasoning

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

→ Garnish

13 - Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
14 - Lemon zest (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and red onion if using. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Toss gently to mix.
03 - Place the feta block in the center of the baking dish and drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over it.
04 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tomatoes burst and feta is golden and softened.
05 - Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven and mash feta and tomatoes together with a fork or spoon until creamy.
07 - Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the baking dish, tossing well to coat evenly with sauce.
08 - Stir in torn fresh basil leaves and adjust seasoning as needed.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a silky sauce without any cream needed, so it tastes rich but feels light.
  • Everything bakes together while you cook pasta, meaning minimal cleanup and real food in under an hour.
  • It's one of those dishes that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, even though you didn't.
02 -
  • Don't drain the sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce without thinking—taste the oil first, and if it's too salty, use less or rinse them briefly, because that's where a lot of the seasoning already lives.
  • Keeping some pasta water is non-negotiable; it's the secret to emulsifying the feta into a glossy, cohesive sauce instead of a dry, chunky mess.
  • If your feta breaks rather than mashes when you stir, you likely added pasta that was too hot or stirred too aggressively—next time, let the pasta cool just slightly before combining.
03 -
  • Let your baking dish come straight from the oven to the table if you're serving family-style—there's something festive about eating straight from the warm dish, and it keeps the pasta hot longer.
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble everything in the baking dish up to the point of baking, cover it, and refrigerate; just add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time if it goes straight from cold to the oven.
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