BAKED FETA PASTA

Baked Feta Pasta may have been recently popularized on Tiktok, but it first went viral in the U.S. via the food blog Grilled Cheese Social. The recipe below is inspired by that one, but it is given a saucier texture using the pasta cooking water and a crisp top under the broiler. Upping the amount of fresh herbs enlivens the finished dish.

2 pints cherry or grape

tomatoes

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt,

plus more for boiling the

pasta

1/4 teaspoon freshly

ground black pepper 1 (8-ounce) block feta

cheese

2 cloves garlic, finely

chopped

⅛ teaspoon red pepper

flakes

1 pound short dried pasta 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one oven rack placed in the middle and another in the secondhighest position.

Combine the cherry tomatoes and ½ cup of the oil in a broiler-safe 2- to 3-quart baking dish. Toss to coat the tomatoes evenly with the oil, then season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Nestle the feta cheese block in the center of the tomatoes, then flip it over to coat all sides in the olive oil.

Bake on the middle oven rack until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is very tender, about 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and continue to bake until the feta browns, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the garlic and pepper flakes. They should sizzle a bit. Transfer to a large bowl, but don’t clean the baking dish. Turn off the oven and set the broiler to high.

While the tomatoes and feta bake, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Add the drained pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the tomato-feta mixture and stir aggressively to create a sauce with the tomatoes, cheese and pasta water. Stir in additional pasta water, if needed, 2 tablespoons at a time, to form a creamy sauce. Return to the baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer to the higher oven rack and broil until the top is crisp, 1 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Per serving, based on 4: 839 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 24 grams protein, 93 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 41 grams total fat (12 grams saturated), 50 milligrams cholesterol, 901 milligrams sodium.

STYLING BY KATE WILLIAMS / CHRIS HUNT FOR THE AJC