Honey Baked Feta Pasta with Harissa

This past year has been a year of viral trends, that’s for sure.

From sourdough, to chaffles, to banana bread, to tortilla hacks, and this one.  And this one is really good!  Baked Feta Pasta.  What is so great about it, is just how customizable it really is.

As soon as I saw the original version, which got its start in Finland, I could see why it went viral (it went so viral that Finland temporarily ran out of feta cheese, or so the rumour goes!!)  It is easy, it is quick, and it turns into either a dinner or even a great appetizer.

It immediately reminded me of my Honey Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Halloumi Salad.  I always add some heat, shallots and garlic to them, and also turn them into a great sauce for pasta,  see my Honey Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta.  And I add my cheese at the end.  But here is a method where the cheese gets baked right in with the tomatoes! Love it.  Very efficient.  

There is something very soothing about creamy hot cheese that melts around veggies.  Check out my appetizer of Red Pepper and Breadcrumb Gratin with Burrata, or how it is officially known, Peperoni Gratinata al Forno! Today’s recipe has the same vibe.

So many of you asked for the official recipe after I had posted a quick method in my Social Media, so this is for you!

The Basics of Baked Feta Pasta

It really is as easy as combining cherry or grape tomatoes and a hunk of feta in a baking dish with olive oil and seasonings.  Add the shallots, they truly add a little more depth. Then you will drizzle honey over everything and roast it in the oven till the tomatoes wrinkle up and start to burst open.  The aromas from the harissa, garlic, shallots etc will be wonderful.  The reason I love the honey is that it balances the acidity of the tomatoes, and is a wonderful accent to the salty feta.  You will be amazed at how much the tomatoes taste more like tomatoes by using the honey!  You will add garlic half way through for these two reasons: one, I like the slight pungency of garlic that isn’t overly softened.  This way it will bake off just enough.  Also, the less cooked or baked it is, the more of garlic’s medicinal properties are retained.  And this winter we really want to have all the immune boosting help we can get!

A good sprinkling of herbs comes next, whether parsley, basil, or thyme.  Then you will break up the feta and stir it into the tomatoes, which you can crush up haphazardly (just watch out for squirting juice!)

While the tomatoes and feta are baking you will prep the pasta of your choice.  I love using spaghetti, but orecchietti, penne, rigatoni etc will all work just fine.  Save some of the pasta water, and once the cheese and tomatoes have turned into a rustic sauce, you will toss the pasta through everything. If you find that the dish is a little ‘thick’ then add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out to the desired consistency.  Serve with another sprinkling of herbs and even some parm if you want more cheese!

Alternatives to All the Ingredients:

Instead of feta, you can use goat cheese, ricotta or even bocconcini.  Instead of tomatoes, you can use a variety of sliced red, yellow and orange peppers or even some zucchini. Or what about squash cubes?!  You can add chopped olives, shallots, even a can of chickpeas for added fibre and protein to the roasting dish. My only disclaimer is: use less salt till you have tasted the finished product, you never know how much salt the cheese will release.  But yes, seasonings are needed. Salt, pepper, red chilli flakes, harissa, rosemary, thyme, whatever flavour you crave.

Omit the pasta and you can serve this as a great appetizer with crostini or crackers.  Just use less tomatoes and a smaller baking dish.

Have fun with this trend.  But I truly think this will become one of your go-to meals, since the whole dish comes together in pretty well 30 minutes.  You will love this as a perfect for Meatless Mondays, or any evening that you may be a little brain dead!  Which for me, is quite often!  And don’t you think that this will work all year round?!  I do!

Which viral food trends have been your favourite this year?  Please share!

Love Jen

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Honey Baked Feta Pasta with Harissa

An easy, quick and tasty dish of creamy cheese and cherry tomatoes over pasta

Course Main Course

Cuisine Finnish

Keyword cherry tomatoes, feta, pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 5 small shallots peeled and sliced into thick rings or quarters
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2-1 tsp harissa powder blend depending on heat tolerance level Can use a blend of smoked paprika and chilli flakes if you don't have harissa.
• 2-3 thyme sprigs
• 1 block feta cheese
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 medium garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Prepared pasta for four reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water (approx 2 oz per person)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Place the tomatoes and shallots into a baking dish that is just large enough to hold everything in one layer, with room for the feta cheese. Drizzle the olive oil over them. Add the salt, pepper, harissa and thyme, and toss to to coat well. Make a space in the middle of the baking dish to place the feta cheese. Drizzle the honey over everything.
3. Bake in the oven until the tomatoes are aromatic and starting to burst, and the cheese is softened and creamy, about 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Half way through the baking, add the garlic, sprinkling it evenly over it all.
4. Remove from the oven and use a fork or tongs to start breaking up the feta, crumbling it and incorporating it into the tomatoes and the the juices mixed in with the olive oil. Break up some of the tomatoes as well (just watch out for projectile juices!) Add in the parsley. Taste and see if extra salt is warranted.
5. While the feta is baking prepare your pasta according to the package directions, draining and reserving some of the pasta water. Toss in the drained cooked pasta and combine well. If you find that the consistency is a little thick, feel free to add in some of the reserved pasta water.
6. Serve with extra parsley and parm if desired.

Recipe Notes

Add a can of drained chickpeas to the dish before baking, for more protein and fibre.
Feel free to use less tomatoes and a smaller baking dish to create a fabulous appetizer. Add chopped olives, and herbs of choice and bake up a great dip for breadsticks or crostini.