Baked Feta Pasta

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I am late to the baked feta and pasta trend, so I had to see was it was all about. I found the original recipe on TikTok and gave it a try. Suffice it to say that there were no leftovers. It was a hit, it was easy, and it was really yummy. The salty baked feta, the sweet cherry tomatoes, the fresh garlic and basil all made the house smell fantastic.
 
My only edit to this recipe is that I doubled the garlic and thought it was perfect, so I made that edit in the recipe posted below. I also added an additional pinch of red pepper flakes once it is done cooking to give it a little more kick. And then I leave the shaker on the counter so the boys can add more  to their pasta, but the two additional pinches is perfect for me.
 
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Baked Feta Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb bowtie pasta
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 boxes cherry tomatoes (around 20-25 oz)
• 1 block feta about 8 oz
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 pinches red pepper flakes
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves
• salt and pepper

PREPARATION:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, and salt to a baking dish and toss.

Step 2:
Place the block of feta in the middle and top with a splash more of olive oil, plus a few pinches red pepper flakes. Bake for 30 minutes.

Step 3:
Meanwhile, prepare bowtie pasta al dente according to directions then strain -- being sure to save some pasta water for later on.

Step 4:
After the 30 minutes has past, crank the heat up to 450 and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the feta and tomatoes have browned.

Step 5:
Remove the baking dish from the oven and IMMEDIATELY add the garlic and basil and stir. The residual heat from the tomatoes and olive oil will take the raw edge off the garlic.

Step 6:
​Now add in the strained al dente pasta and stir one more time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and Enjoy! (And if the sauce is dry, you can add 1/4 cup pasta water and stir to loosen it.)
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