Baked Feta Pasta (Gluten-Free)

I found this baked feta pasta recipe, known as Tik Tok Pasta, while spending a quiet evening flipping through videos on Tik Tok. I might be a little late to the game, but this recipe was too simple to pass up. It's an amazing dish, bursting with so much flavor and is incredibly kind to your time and budget.

I confess, I did not produce this recipe on my own, FeelGoodFoodie is the blog that made it go viral. She mentions this dish became so popular in Finland that they had trouble stocking feta cheese in the grocery stores. It's crazy to think about one recipe that would bring the feta industry to their knees, but this is it.

I'm hoping I've changed the recipe enough to make this a worthwhile inclusion to the viral tik tok pasta phenomenon. A couple of those changes utilize Gluten-Free Pasta, as well as adding spinach, and red pepper flakes. Being allergic to wheat has made me a little more conscious of what I can and can't eat and the pasta I use is fantastic. It's the only brand pasta that tastes and the texture is just like typical pasta! So, technically this recipe is for a gluten-free tik tok pasta.

Baked Feta Pasta Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Grape or Cherry tomatoes will do just fine. For this instance, I used grape tomatoes. Typically, I would grab them from the garden, however, we planted our cherry tomatoes late in the season. So, fresh organic store-bought tomatoes are what I settled with.
• Feta Cheese: Since we don't own sheep, this was store bought as well. It's preferred to use the block of cheese rather than the crumbled as it's less processed and will melt much better. This recipe is still possible with crumbled feta, so do not fret if you can't find a block.
• Pasta: I made a gluten-free version of this viral baked feta pasta, due to my wheat allergy. Use whatever pasta you would like! I would go with a cavatappi noodle for the best results. If you're interested in the gluten-free pasta that I use, follow this link, it's the best.
• Garlic: I used three cloves of minced garlic, simply because I love garlic. I sprinkled this in under the tomatoes to make sure the olive oil absorbed all the flavor.
• Fresh Basil: Currently, I have a massive bush of fresh basil ripe for the taking. I clipped these from the garden, chopped them up, then mixed them into the sauce.
• Spinach: I honestly love spinach in creamy dishes such as this. It adds a great flavor and texture, as well as nutrition.
• Seasonings: Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and since I like to add a little spice to my life, crushed red pepper flakes.
• Chicken (Optional): I did not add chicken to this dish; however, it would be a welcome addition to the meal. Simply sauté the chicken while it's in the oven and add it to the combined meal at the end.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the Olive Oil into an oven-safe baking dish. Drop the minced Garlic into the oil, then place the Feta Cheese in the center. 

Step 2

Place the Grape Tomatoes around the Feta Cheese and use your hand to roll them around in the Olive Oil. Then season with Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt, and Fresh Cracked Pepper. 

Step 4

Place the oven-safe baking dish into the preheated oven for 35 Minutes. Once done, I like to turn the on broiler for 3-5 minutes to let the feta and tomatoes get a little toasted before removing them from the oven.

Step 5

Sauté the Spinach in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until it becomes wilted. Approximately 1 Minute, then set aside.

Step 6

Remove the baking dish from the oven and smash the tomatoes with a spatula or large spoon. Then, add in the Cooked Spinach, Cooked Pasta, and Fresh Basil. Mix until fully combined and coated. Then serve warm.

Conclusion

While I don't typically follow too many trends, this pasta was so flavorful that I might start looking into them a little more regularly. This viral tik tok pasta was a sensation with the family and I loved how delicious and quick it actually was. I look forward to trying to put my own spin on some other viral recipes in the future, but until then, enjoy!