Baked Feta Pasta became a TicTok sensation last year, becoming the most instantaneous recipe made with four simple ingredients.
BAKED FETA AND RICOTTA PASTA WITH CHICKEN
Like many pasta recipes, adding chicken will indeed please and become a family favorite for weeknight meals. Creamy flavorful, and cheese, all the components you want in a pasta dish.
Baked Feta Pasta is the perfect fall comfort food, creamy, tomato–y and so incredibly delicious. It is probably the most straightforward pasta dish I have ever made.
When I say simple, everything gets baked together until the tomatoes burst, releasing all their jamminess. The cheeses get melty, and you stir it all together, making this quick creamy sauce, toss in the chicken and then the pasta. Generously garnish with more basil. Boom, dinner is ready.
For a busy family, sometimes the best cooking is the kind that takes little cooking and prep time. The primary flavors of this pasta are feta and tomatoes. A two ingredient meal with add ons.
If you are not a fan of feta, you can definitely use another cheese––baked brie, cream cheese, or ricotta, which would be amazing.
We have some in our family who are not fans of feta, so combining the feta with ricotta would produce a milder cheese taste. It was a good decision. Everyone loved it.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE? TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR BAKED FETA PASTA
Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for the Baked Feta Pasta Recipe and similar recipe ideas you can have.
Or you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with amounts of the ingredients and complete instructions with notes.
RECIPE TIPS AND INGREDIENT VARIATIONS
The Best Feta. If possible, choose feta made from sheep milk, which is French feta. It is smooth and creamy. The feta made from cows and goats is more crumbly, which is Greek feta. You may substitute the feta for baked brie, cream cheese, ricotta, or a combination.
Type of Tomatoes. The sweeter, the better. A mini tomato is better, but any tomatoes, such as Roma, grape, or cocktail tomatoes, will work. I use the ones on the vine in this recipe. The packaged mini ones are good, too.
Pasta of Choice. You can use your favorite pasta here. I suggest penne or macaroni. I used Spaghetti in this recipe.
Amount of Olive Oil. You want enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes and feta with a pool around the bottom of the baking dish so the tomatoes do not get dry while cooking.
When To Add The Garlic. Whole garlic may be added initially and cooked with the feta and tomatoes. The minced garlic may be added at the beginning and cooked with the feta and tomatoes or added afterward when the melted cheese and tomatoes are stirred.
When To Add The Basil. Add the slice or leave the basil leaves whole while cooking the feta and tomatoes, and keep some sliced or whole to garnish with.
Type of Chicken. This is a great time to use leftover chicken. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken while the feta and tomatoes cook or use rotisserie chicken. I sauteed chicken tenders in butter while the feta and tomatoes were cooking.
Layering Flavors. While seasoning is simple, adding salt and pepper at different stages of cooking can add so much depth to cooking. Season the feta and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Also, season the chicken with salt and pepper. This is called layering flavors.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BAKED FETA PASTA RECIPE
9x13 oblong baking dish
Mini tomatoes
Block Feta cheese
Ricotta cheese
Avocado oil or Olive oil
Spaghetti pasta
Basil
Chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE BAKED FETA PASTA RECIPE
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add the vine tomatoes to the baking dish.
Cut the block of feta cheese in half. Nestle the two halves of the feta cheese block in the baking dish's center between the tomato vines.
Scoop a 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese and place in opposite corners of the baking dish.
Sprinkle the garlic over the top of the tomatoes and cheese. Arrange whole basil leaves of the tomatoes and cheese.
Drizzle olive oil or avocado oil over the tomatoes, feta cheese, and ricotta cheese.
Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper over the tomatoes and cheese.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the tomatoes begin to carmelize and shrivel along the edges. While in the oven, start cooking the pasta according to the package directions.
Also, brown the chicken tenders in butter; set aside.
When the feta and tomatoes are done, remove them from the oven, lift the vines off the tomatoes, smash them, and stir everything together in a creamy sauce.
Drain the pasta well, and add to the creamy sauce. If it is too dry, add a little pasta water.
Stir in the chicken until combined.
Garnish with sliced basil. Serve immediately.
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