Ah, TikTok. The great arbiter of short-form video recipes, and the hallowed birthplace of a viral tomato and feta pasta recipe that was in everyone's feeds — both digital and culinary — from 2020 onwards. A very small but vindictive part of me wanted this recipe to be a flop. It sounds too good to be true — just bung some cherry tomatoes and feta into the oven and emerge half an hour later with a delicious meal? I turned my nose up at the simplicity.
Well, I was wrong. I've tried this dish a few times when ingredients, time, and energy are low. Every time, I have been delightfully surprised at how delicious it is.
So, imagine how the cogs in my head started turning when I went for dinner at the home of some beloved (the same talented pair behind the Salut pop-up we covered in the magazine last summer) and was served whipped feta with blistered grapes. It was divine. I learned that whipping feta is simply a matter of blending feta with a dollop of yoghurt, cream cheese, or similar until the desired consistency is reached.
Anyway, the point is that I was inspired. The original viral tomato and feta recipe is delicious in its own right, but I thought, "Huh — whipped feta?" I think you can see where this is going.
So, without further soliloquy, here is my version of the infamous tomato and feta baked pasta dish with an elevated twist. Let's call it baked tomato and feta pasta with a whipped basil feta topping, shall we?
How to make the viral tomato feta pasta (with a twist)
What you'll need from the shops:
A punnet of cherry tomatoes
Feta (I used two wheels in this recipe, one for the pasta and one for the topping)
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Pasta of your choice
Plain yoghurt or cream cheese, depending on how rich you want your whipped feta to be
Can we have a moment to appreciate fresh tomatoes in Spring?
Step One: Prep your kak
Preparing the feta and tomato pasta
This is dastardly simple. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Rinse your tomatoes then plop them into a shallow roasting dish with a wheel of feta and a very generous glug of olive oil (about 1/8 of a cup, but use your discretion).
Next, put a pot of salted water on the boil and get your pasta going.
Preparing the whipped basil feta (optional)
You can skip this step if you're short on time, but I like to shock my greens to preserve a nice colour. Simply pour hot water over the basil leaves in a colander or similar then submerge them in a bowl of iced water.
Step Two: Prepare the basil whipped feta
While the tomatoes are blistering in the oven, you can get cracking with the whipped feta topping. Pop another wheel of feta into a blender along with the shocked basil (squeeze to get rid of the water first), about two tablespoons of yoghurt or cream cheese, and some olive oil.
Blend until you get the desired consistency. I was looking for something thicker than yoghurt, but still spreadable. You can loosen the sauce with a splash of pasta water if required.
Step Three: Prepare the tomato and feta pasta
When the tomatoes are slightly browned and have burst, it's time to take them out of the oven. This should take about 30 to 45 minutes.
Here's a close-up for reference:
Now, all you have to do is the mash the whole lot together with a fork to create a very rustic chunky sauce.
Step Four: Assemble and enjoy!
Honestly, the best way to enjoy this is just to mix the pasta, roast tomato sauce, and whipped basil feta into one deliciously messy bowl. I wanted a pretty picture, so I layered it — but please treat this as just one of several serving suggestions.
Top with a drizzle of olive oil and flakey salt. If you want to be really fancy, you could pipe the whipped feta into chic little swirls on the pasta dish. Or you could mix the entire ordeal together and eat it out of the roasting pan. The world is your oyster.
Lots of love,
The Life & Style team
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