The craze of TikTok never seems to die as new trends emerge and circulate the mainstream media just about every day. This one, however, made feta cheese sell out in the entire country of Finland. That’s right, I’m talking about the baked feta pasta. With feta being a very hotly debated cheese amongst many, this pasta promised to be tasty regardless of the massive amount of the Greek cheese that it had. We decided to put the hype to the test but, instead of following the very simple four-ingredient dish, we added our own little twists to it. Here are two different ways to make the baked feta pasta:

Sarah Ismaili / Daily Nexus

Recipe One: “Add in the Cheese” 

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 block of 8 oz feta cheese
  • 2 oz of mozzarella cheese 
  • 1 oz of Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Spices of choice 
  • Pasta of choice 

Sarah Ismaili / Daily Nexus

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add the cherry tomatoes into the dish.
  3. Place a block of feta in the middle.
  4. Add olive oil and spices (I used salt, pepper, oregano, and Sicilian blend). 
  5. Place the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Boil your pasta of choice.
  7. After cheese and tomatoes are finished baking and pasta is boiling, strain pasta and add to the mixture. 
  8. Mix in mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. 

Many fear the original version because of the copious amount of feta. As a huge fan of the cheese, even I would agree that it is a bit salty. Adding in milder cheeses like mozzarella and parmesan definitely evened out the feta flavor and made it less intense. I also added in Sicilian blend and rosemary, offering complexity to the dish. Overall, I really enjoyed this version and think it’s great for anyone who wants to try out this trend but is a little hesitant about the amount of feta. 

Nicole Wakeland / Daily Nexus

Recipe 2: “Add in the Veggies”

Ingredients: 

  • 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 block of 8 oz feta cheese
  • Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic 
  • Mushrooms (cut into quarters)
  • Fresh basil (chopped)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Red chili flakes
  • Olive oil
  • Pasta of choice 

Nicole Wakeland / Daily Nexus

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Put a large pot of water on high heat and cook pasta.
  3. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and cover with olive oil.
  4. Place a block of feta in the center of the dish and add a little more olive oil on top.
  5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and red chili flakes for spice. 
  6. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.
  7. While that’s cooking, cut the mushrooms and basil, and mince garlic.
  8. Add mushrooms to the dish and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 more minutes.
  9. Stir in the garlic and basil. 
  10. Add the pasta to the dish.
  11. Top with basil, spices of your choice and Parmesan cheese.

Since I’m a fan of vegetables, I also added some baked zucchini to the dish. Feel free to add any other veggies like spinach and other leafy greens to add more nutrients. This recipe was truly so simple and delicious. Make it for your friends and family and try these two variations of the baked feta pasta!

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