Baked Feta Pasta

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 395°F/200°C. (Instant Pot instructions can be found in the notes below)

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Remove the dish from the oven. The feta will be really soft. Add crushed garlic and chopped fresh basil leaves.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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).

Step 8

Garnish with extra chopped fresh basil, and serve warm.