Save I came home late one Thursday with nothing but feta and a pint of cherry tomatoes, too tired to chop or sauté. Tossing them in a dish with olive oil felt like giving up, until the oven worked its magic and the kitchen filled with the smell of roasted garlic and bursting tomatoes. When I drizzled honey over the golden feta and watched it melt into the sauce, I realized sometimes the best meals happen when you stop trying so hard.
The first time I made this for friends, someone asked if I went to culinary school. I laughed because I had literally forgotten about it in the oven and almost burned the edges. But that caramelized feta with the jammy tomatoes became the thing people remembered, the dish they asked me to bring to every gathering after that.
Ingredients
- Block feta cheese (200 g): The star of the show, it softens and turns creamy in the oven but holds its shape, buy it in brine for the best texture and never pre-crumbled.
- Cherry tomatoes (500 g): They burst into sweet concentrated pockets of flavor when roasted, and their skins slip right off if you want a smoother sauce.
- Garlic (3 cloves, chopped): Roasting mellows its bite into something sweet and nutty, I used to slice it but chopping gives you more flavor in every spoonful.
- Short pasta (350 g): Penne or rigatoni grab the sauce in their ridges, cook it just shy of al dente because it finishes in the baking dish.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (3 tbsp): This is not the time for cheap oil, good olive oil makes the tomatoes glisten and adds richness you can taste.
- Dried oregano (1 tsp): It blooms in the heat and smells like summer, even in the middle of winter.
- Red pepper flakes (1 tsp plus extra): They add a slow building warmth that plays perfectly with the honey, dont skip them.
- Honey (2 tbsp): It caramelizes slightly on the hot feta and balances the salt and spice, I once used hot honey and it changed my life.
- Lemon zest (from 1 lemon): Just a little brightens everything and cuts through the richness, zest it right over the dish for maximum fragrance.
- Fresh basil (1 handful, torn): Tearing it releases oils that smell like a garden, add it at the very end so it stays vibrant and green.
Instructions
- Get the oven ready:
- Preheat to 200°C (400°F) so its fully hot when the dish goes in. A properly heated oven makes the tomatoes blister and the feta edges turn golden.
- Prepare the tomatoes:
- Scatter cherry tomatoes in a baking dish with the chopped garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and half the red pepper flakes. Toss everything with your hands so each tomato gets coated, it feels messy but its worth it.
- Nestle the feta:
- Place the feta block right in the center of the tomatoes like a little island. Drizzle it with more olive oil and sprinkle the remaining chili flakes on top, this is where the magic starts.
- Bake until bubbly:
- Slide the dish into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and release their juices and the feta turns soft and golden on the edges. The smell will make you want to pull it out early, but wait for that caramelization.
- Cook the pasta:
- While the dish bakes, boil your pasta in well salted water until just al dente, taste it to be sure. Before draining, scoop out half a cup of the starchy pasta water, it will help create a silky sauce later.
- Add honey and lemon:
- When the dish comes out of the oven, immediately drizzle honey over the feta and tomatoes, then scatter lemon zest across the top. The heat will melt the honey into everything.
- Create the sauce:
- Use a spoon to stir and mash the feta and tomatoes together right in the baking dish until a creamy sauce forms. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water to loosen it into a glossy finish.
- Serve and garnish:
- Plate it up while its still steaming hot, then tear fresh basil over the top and add extra chili flakes if you want more heat. Serve immediately because this is best when the cheese is still creamy and warm.
Save My neighbor once knocked on my door because she smelled this through the hallway and thought I was having a dinner party. I invited her in and we ate it straight from the baking dish with forks, laughing about how something this simple could feel like a celebration. That was the night I stopped saving recipes for special occasions.
Customizing the Heat
The balance between honey and chili is personal, some people want just a whisper of warmth while others pile on the flakes until their lips tingle. I usually put the chili flakes in a small bowl on the table so everyone can adjust their own heat level, and I have learned that hot honey instead of regular honey turns this into something dangerously addictive. Start mild and add more, you can always go bolder but you cannot take it back.
Cheese Swaps and Variations
Feta is traditional but goat cheese works beautifully if you want something tangier and even creamier, it melts faster so watch it closely in the oven. I once used a sheep milk feta from a farmers market and the nutty richness made me never want to go back to the regular stuff, though honestly even the grocery store block feta does the job perfectly. If you are feeling bold, try a mix of feta and ricotta for extra creaminess, but keep feta as the base for that salty punch.
Storage and Reheating
This keeps in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container, though the pasta will soak up the sauce and get softer. When reheating, add a splash of water or olive oil to a skillet and warm it gently over medium heat, stirring to bring the creaminess back. I actually love the leftovers cold straight from the fridge as a pasta salad, the flavors deepen overnight and the honey becomes even more pronounced.
- Reheat in a skillet with a little water, not the microwave, to avoid rubbery pasta.
- If making ahead, bake the feta and tomatoes but cook the pasta fresh when ready to serve.
- Freeze the baked feta and tomato mixture without pasta for up to a month, then thaw and toss with freshly cooked noodles.
Save This recipe taught me that cooking doesnt have to be complicated to be memorable, sometimes the best moments happen when you let heat and time do the work. Keep feta and tomatoes on hand, and youll never be more than 40 minutes away from something that feels like home.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I use other cheeses instead of feta?
Goat cheese is a great substitute for a tangier flavor, melting similarly to feta while maintaining creaminess.
- → How do I get the sauce creamy without cream?
The creamy texture comes from mixing warm melted feta with roasted tomatoes, honey, and a splash of reserved pasta water, creating a silky sauce.
- → What type of pasta works best for this dish?
Short pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or rigatoni hold the sauce well and complement the roasted feta and tomatoes.
- → Can the spiciness be adjusted?
Yes, adjust the heat by varying the amount of red pepper flakes or using hot honey for extra kick.
- → Is this dish suitable for gluten-free diets?
Using gluten-free pasta makes this dish gluten-free while preserving the flavor and texture.