Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 1 medium shallot, finely diced
  • 6 medium cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (8 oz) block feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 oz orechiette pasta (or use your favorite shape!)
  • 1/4 cup fresh minced basil (or oregano, parsley, or a mix of all)

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 400F. In a 9x13 casserole dish, toss tomatoes, shallot, and garlic with olive oil until evenly coated. Form a space in the center of pan and place feta in the center. Turn the feta to evenly coat in olive oil. Drizzle white wine over feta and tomatoes and top with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.
  • Bake feta at 400F 35-40 minutes until tomatoes are bursting and feta is a deep golden brown.
  • While the feta is baking, cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/2-1 cup pasta cooking water and keep pasta warm.
  • Once feta is done, remove from oven and add basil. Use a wooden spoon to mash feta together with tomatoes, garlic, and shallot until a creamy sauce forms.
  • Stir pasta into sauce until evenly coated, adding pasta water if needed to thin sauce. Season pasta with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve pasta hot and enjoy!