Lunch · Dinner · Mediterranean
Baked feta & cherry tomato pasta
A whole block of feta roasted with cherry tomatoes, then stirred into a rough, creamy sauce.
- Start to finish
- 45 min
- Hands-on
- 13 min
- In the fridge
- 3 days
- Freezes
- Not well
VegetarianA little heatContains gluten, dairy
Ingredients
4 portions- 500gCherry tomatoes
- 3 clovesGarlic, halved
- 4 tbspOlive oil
- ½ tspChilli flakes
- 1 tspDried oregano
- 200gFeta
- 400gPenne
- 30gFresh basil
Plus salt, pepper and water.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Tip the tomatoes into a baking dish that fits them snugly, with the peeled and halved garlic, 3 tbsp of the oil, the chilli, oregano and some salt and pepper, and toss. Sit the block of feta in the middle and drizzle over the rest of the oil.
- 2
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is soft and golden at the edges.
35 min, mostly hands-off
- 3
Meanwhile, cook the penne in a big pan of boiling salted water for 11 minutes, or as the packet says. Scoop out a mugful of the water, then drain.
15 min, mostly hands-off
- 4
Squash the feta, tomatoes and garlic with a fork and stir into a rough, creamy sauce with a splash of the pasta water. Add the penne and torn basil leaves and toss well. Serve, or cool and pack into tubs.
On the day
Warm, with more basil and black pepper. For lunch it is good at room temperature, or microwave with a splash of water until piping hot.
Cook’s tip
Use a dish that just fits the tomatoes in one layer. Too big and the juices dry out and catch, too small and the tomatoes stew instead of blistering.