Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 pound (450g) cherry tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8-ounce (225g) block feta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 8 ounces (225g) dried pasta of choice
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
  • ¼ cup basil (packed, chopped, plus more for serving)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 395°F/200°C. (Instant Pot instructions can be found in the notes below)
  • To a baking dish or a cast-iron dish, add the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir so that the tomatoes are well coated in oil.
  • Make room for the feta block, and place it in the center of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with crushed chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes have softened and burst. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water (no oil!) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
  • Remove the dish from the oven. The feta will be really soft. Add crushed garlic and chopped fresh basil leaves.
  • Using a spoon or a fork, mix the feta with everything else in the pan and lightly mash the cherry tomatoes. Taste the sauce, if it's acidic, mix in the sugar.
  • Add in the cooked pasta, and mix everything until the pasta is well coated. If needed, loosen the sauce with a splash of pasta cooking water (you might need it if reheating the pasta later).
  • Garnish with extra chopped fresh basil, and serve warm.