Feta Tomato Fusilli Bake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A baked pasta featuring feta and cherry tomatoes with a kick of chili flakes and garlic. Fusilli tossed in the creamy, roasted feta-tomato sauce, garnished with fresh basil. Slight changes to ingredient ratios and additions make it tangier and richer. Quick desalting of feta reduces excess salt. Roasting brings out tomato sweetness and feta creaminess. Pasta cooked al dente and mixed right after baking to soak up flavors.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
3 servings
#Mediterranean
#Baked Pasta
#Feta
#Roasted Tomatoes
#Fusilli
#Olives
#Garlic
#Basil
#Chili Flakes
#Lemon Zest
Roasting feta with tomatoes is a game changer. Started with just baking feta and tomatoes, but adding Kalamata olives this time brought a punchy, briny note—perfect contrast. I dialed back olive oil a bit and extended roasting by 5 minutes to coax more juice out of tomatoes without drying. Garlic thinly sliced loses the sharpness of minced but offers more mellow roasted flavor. Red pepper flakes scattered in give background heat without dominating. Tried with other pasta shapes but fusilli holds sauce best. Basil folded in last minute for fresh aroma. Desalting feta matters; got bit by salt overload at first. Now it’s routine, water bath with pat dry before roasting. Even texture big difference if feta not patted properly—watery sauces are sad. The key: watching tomato skin for tiny splits and feta edges bubbling and softening—no strict timer here. The smell changes from sharp to creamy when it’s ready. Worth slicing garlic thin—not minced, gets bitter if roasted too long. Keep sauce creamy but chunky. Don’t skip lemon zest, it livens the dish. Leftovers revive beautifully with just a splash of oil and heat. Trust your nose, your eyes, and the touch of the feta’s edges.
Ingredients
- 140 g feta cheese block
- 480 g (3¾ cups) cherry tomatoes, stems on or off
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 140 ml (⅔ cup) olive oil
- 300 g (10 oz) fusilli pasta
- 30 g (½ cup loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Handful of pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
About the ingredients
Feta block bigger than 140g requires longer desalting; adjust time if using. You can swap Kalamata olives for capers if you want more bite. Cherry tomatoes can be mixed colors—red, yellow, orange—for visual interest. Garlic sliced thin avoids burning and bitterness but mincing works if added later. Olive oil quality matters here, go fruity but not bitter. Basil can be swapped for oregano or parsley but fresh basil is superior. Fusilli preferred for sauce hold—penne or rigatoni can substitute, but watch pasta cooking time. No salt added explicitly since feta and olives carry saline. Lemon zest optional but highly recommended for a zing that cuts richness. If no oven, skillet roasting on stovetop works but less even and requires attention.
Method
- Heat oven to 220 °C (430 °F), rack in middle position. Listen for oven hum, you're looking for steady heat, no hot spots.
- Quick salt check: block of feta into a bowl of cold water for 7 minutes. Changes the salt profile, makes the cheese milder, less briny. Drain and pat dry thoroughly — or it'll turn your bake watery.
- In a shallow roasting dish, nestle feta center. Scatter tomatoes around, add garlic slices and red pepper flakes liberally — the heat wakes up the dish. Pour olive oil evenly over everything. Add lemon zest now, it cuts richness.
- Sprinkle olives between tomatoes. Don't salt here, feta and olives provide enough. Pepper freshly ground, heavier than usual.
- Roast uncovered 35 minutes. Watch for tomatoes to start bursting, skin wrinkling, and feta softening - no longer firm, showing signs of melting and edges caramelizing. The kitchen smells of roasted garlic and olive oil — almost buttery.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water, salt well but not heavily, to avoid over-salting pasta. Cook fusilli until just shy of al dente — slightly firm with a bit of chew left. Drain pasta but reserve a half cup pasta water.
- Remove baking dish, remove any tough tomato stems. Using a fork or wooden spoon, press and mash feta and roasted tomatoes together. Texture should be creamy with tomato chunks breaking down, almost a rustic sauce consistency.
- Add hot pasta to the baking dish. Toss thoroughly to coat the pasta, letting it soak up the creamy sauce. If it feels dry, splash reserved pasta water bit by bit to loosen.
- Finish with torn fresh basil scattered on top, bright and fragrant. Serve immediately — sauce thickens and dries if left too long. Textures play between creamy feta, juicy tomatoes, tender pasta, and fresh herb punch.
- Leftovers? Cool completely then add a little olive oil and stir before refrigerating. Reheat gently on stove with splash of water or olive oil to restore creaminess - microwave kills texture here.
Cooking tips
Preheating oven thoroughly ensures even roasting; rushing this step leads to uneven cooking. Feta’s salt can dominate so desalting is key—never skip or shortcut. Roasting temperature critical for tomatoes to burst evenly, lower temps make tomatoes sweat but don’t brown or soften fully. Bulk roasting garlic thinly sliced ensures mellow flavor; minced develops bitter or burnt notes. Red pepper flakes can be adjusted; taste as it roasts, and don’t be stingy—it wakes the palate. Pasta cooks faster if added to roiling salted water, aim for firmness. Don’t rinse pasta—starch helps sauce cling. Remove stems from tomatoes after roasting to prevent woody bits in sauce. Mashing feta and tomatoes while hot blends flavors better—wait too long and sauce firms up, harder to incorporate. Adding pasta directly to baking dish cuts down mess and allows pasta to soak sauce immediately. Toss quickly but gently to avoid breaking pasta. Basil added last avoids losing aroma from heat. Serve immediately; sauces dry out quickly otherwise. Leftovers reheat gently with liquid for texture restoration.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Desalting feta cuts upfront salt punch. Immerse block in cold water for 7 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly or waterwaters down texture. Longer if feta chunk bigger; use weight or timed test. No skipping this step at all. Water bath changes salty profile — milder cheese gives balanced sauce.
- 💡 Watch tomato skin for bursts and wrinkles — that’s roast doneness signal. Edges of feta get soft and start bubbling but not fully melted. Oven aroma flips from sharp garlic to deep roasted sweetness. Skip strict timer, smell and look instead. Feta edges caramelizing hint at texture change.
- 💡 Slice garlic thin. Mince will burn or become bitter fast in roast. Thin slices release mellow garlic flavor, blend smoother. Add red pepper flakes liberally but adjust as it roasts. Background heat wakes dish without overpowering. Olive oil quality counts — fruity but not bitter, coats ingredients evenly.
- 💡 Fusilli preferred for sauce hold — spiral shapes catch creamy feta tomato sauce better. Penne or rigatoni substitutes but watch timing, water release varies. No rinsing pasta, starch sticks sauce to noodles. Drain pasta al dente, reserve half cup pasta water for loosen sauce if needed.
- 💡 Add lemon zest just before roasting or in olive oil — cuts richness, brightens flavor. Cherry tomatoes mix colors if you want look variety but keep stems off after roast. Basil added last minute — fresh leaves on top avoids aroma loss from heat. Leftovers: cool, olive oil drizzle, gentle stove reheat with water splash restores sauce texture.
Common questions
Can I skip desalting feta?
Not recommended. Salt hits hard after baking. Makes watery sauce if salty feta not rinsed. Faster soak if feta smaller chunk but never skip. Dry feta well or sauce texture ruined.
What if tomatoes don’t burst in oven?
Oven temp too low likely. 220 °C needed to get skin wrinkling and popping. Could roast longer but risk drying them out. A quick pan roast on stove can finish them but less even. Tomatoes need that burst for sauce consistency.
Pasta too dry after mixing?
Add pasta water bit by bit to loosen sauce. Pasta starch helps sauce cling and restores creaminess. Don’t soak too much or sauce thins out. Toss quickly after adding pasta so sauce sticks evenly. Could drizzle olive oil if no reserved water.
How to store leftovers?
Cool fully first. Add a small splash olive oil to stop drying. Refrigerate covered. Reheat gently in pan with little water or oil splash to bring creaminess back. Microwave dries sauce and ruins feta texture here — avoid if possible.
