No.80 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Baked Feta Pasta

Made famous by Jenni Häyrinen

Photo: Delicious Adventures, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Uunifetapasta, Liemessä blog, 2019; viral on TikTok, 2021.

A Finnish blogger's oven pasta so popular in early 2021 that feta sold out in shops across the US and Finland. The defining recipe of the TikTok era.

Ingredients

• 2 pints (about 600 g) cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot, quartered, optional
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and black pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 block (7 to 8 oz / 200 g) feta, in brine
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10 oz (280 g) short pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
• A handful of fresh basil, torn
• Zest of 1/2 lemon, optional

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Put the tomatoes, shallot and garlic in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil, a good pinch of salt, pepper and the pepper flakes.
3. Pat the feta dry and set it in the middle of the dish. Drizzle the rest of the oil over it and add the thyme.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft and golden at the edges. For more color, put it under the broiler 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water and drain.
6. Take the thyme stems out. Smash the feta and tomatoes with a spoon and stir into a creamy sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water.
7. Add the pasta and basil and stir to coat. Add lemon zest if you like and taste for salt. Serve right away.

Chef's tips

• Use sheep's-milk feta in brine. Pre-crumbled feta won't melt into a sauce.
• Add a handful of spinach with the pasta to wilt in the heat.

← No. 79Rao's Meatballs→ No. 81Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric (#TheStew)