Different things go viral on Tik Tok every week, but lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of different viral recipes come across our For You pages. In particular, one recipe for baked feta pasta has been becoming more and more widespread. Some grocery stores in Finland actually ran out of feta cheese because people were so crazy about this recipe. We at The Current decided that, instead of just following the recipe and reviewing it, we’d try making the recipe three different ways: the original, the easy and college-friendly and the dairy and gluten-free methods. Here’s how it went and how to make all three recipes.
Classic viral recipe
The end result of the classic recipe ended up being a deliciously creamy and savory sauce, which perfectly coated the cooked noodles. Although this recipe was great, it did take a long time to cook. Remember that it takes 40 minutes to bake the sauce, so be prepared to wait a while for your meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 1 8oz block of feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pasta noodles of choice
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- Casserole dish
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Chop cherry tomatoes in half, if desired. Then, line the inside of the casserole dish with the tomatoes.
- Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the dish and drizzle the olive oil over the cherry tomatoes and cheese.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook the tomatoes and cheese in the oven for 40 minutes.
- While the casserole dish is in the oven, cook your noodles and set them aside.
- Take the casserole dish out of the oven and immediately begin to mash and mix the tomatoes and cheese.
- Stir in parmesan cheese, basil and garlic to the sauce.
- Mix in noodles and enjoy.
Quick and simple recipe
If your schedule is full of long days and a boatload of study time, finding meals that are filling and can be thrown together in a short time frame are a must. Maybe, you have considered trying this viral recipe, but don’t think you have the time or the necessary high-quality ingredients at home. Well, don’t fear; here is the 15 minute shortcut to this trend, and all you need is a stove — or if you are so daring, a microwave — and some simple ingredients. Now as a forewarning, this recipe doesn’t include precise measurements, but it does have some reference measurements to allow for creativity and less added pressure of precise measurements. Have fun in the kitchen and find your inner chef.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 container of crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Pasta of choice (stringy noodles not recommended)
- Cooking oil
- Pre-minced garlic
- Chopped basil seasoning
- A stovetop pan (deep wide pan recommended)
- A pot (for traditional pasta preparation)
Instructions:
- Place a pan on the stove and heat the pan on medium-high heat. In a separate pot, prepare the pasta water. If you have a ready to eat pasta variety, ignore this step and heat up as directed on the packaging.
- Once heated, open the can of diced tomatoes and drain the juices almost completely, leaving a small amount for moisture. Pour contents in the pan and spread the tomatoes around.
- After waiting a minute to allow the tomatoes to get acquainted, add salt and pepper as well as a small dollop of the garlic and about a capful or two of cooking oil. Stir and let sit for an additional five minutes.
- At this point, check on the traditional pasta and add your crumbled feta, which should be about a cup or half of the packaging, to the pan. This is to your preference or dietary restrictions.
- Stir the contents and set your stove a few notches above medium-high heat to allow the pan to cook off the excess water and allow the feta to get a creamy consistency for five minutes.
- Check the pasta with a quick stir or taste test to determine how much longer it needs. When it needs an extra minute or so, add basil to the pan and lower the pan to medium-low heat.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix the contents together to the desired consistency. At this point, adjustments can be made to taste such as pepper flakes, extra cheese toppings or whatever you would like.
- Enjoy.
Plant-based and protein-packed
Just because you have dietary restrictions doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this dish. This twist on a trend is vegan, dairy and gluten-free and packed with plenty of protein. The best part? You can easily swap out pieces of this recipe with the ones above or create something new. Vegan, but not gluten free? Follow the instructions for the sauce below, but use regular pasta. Don’t mind dairy, but have an intolerance to gluten? Use the regular feta and substitute gluten-free pasta. Some easy swaps bring this recipe to a different level.
Ingredients:
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Olive oil
- Lemon pepper, salt and an italian seasoning blend
- Chili flakes (optional)
- ½ block of soft tofu
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- Chickpea pasta (I used Banza)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Place your tomatoes, red onion and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with the lemon pepper, salt, italian seasoning and chili flakes, if you prefer a bit of spice.
- Cut your halved block of tofu in half again (you should have 2-quarters of the whole block).
- Place one of the halves of tofu in the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and salt.
- Place the baking dish in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, begin boiling your pasta. Read the instructions for what the brand recommends, but cook the pasta to your liking and drain well.
- Combine the second half of the tofu with the white vinegar and more of the seasonings in a blender or mash it very finely with a fork. Note: the tofu won’t melt like feta normally would, so blending the second half adds to the creamy texture of the sauce and the vinegar adds some sharpness that you don’t get with tofu alone.
- Once the pasta is cooked, pull out the tomatoes and tofu block. Most of the tomatoes should have burst, but break open the remaining ones and mash them with the tofu. Pour the additional tofu into the pan and stir in the pasta. Serve with extra chili flakes.
