Does the baked feta pasta work?

Chef's version

45 min · serves 4 · after Jenni Häyrinen's recipe, with the fixes in

You need

• 2 pints (about 600 g) cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt and plenty of black pepper
• 1 block (7 to 8 oz / 200 g) feta in brine, drained
• 12 oz (340 g) short pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
• 1 lemon, zested
• A big handful of basil leaves

How to make it

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a baking dish about 9x13 inches, toss the tomatoes, shallot, garlic, oil, oregano, chili, salt and pepper. Spread them in one layer.
2. Set the block of feta in the middle and turn it once so it's coated in oil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are browning at the edges and the feta is soft and golden on top.
3. While it bakes, boil the pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water, then drain.
4. Take the dish out and mash the feta, tomatoes and garlic together with a fork into a rough sauce.
5. Tip in the pasta and stir, adding pasta water a splash at a time (usually 1/3 to 1/2 cup) until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.
6. Stir in the lemon zest and torn basil, taste for pepper, and serve straight from the dish.

Good to know

• Add a few handfuls of spinach with the pasta: it wilts in the heat.
• Leftovers dry out; loosen them with a splash of water when you reheat.

Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have. Chef's own write-up, in our words, credited to Jenni Häyrinen.