# Original Baked Feta Pasta

## Description
The viral TikTok sensation that took the world by storm! Creamy baked feta melts into sweet burst cherry tomatoes to create the most addictive pasta sauce. #BakedFetaPasta #ViralRecipe

## Quick Facts
- Calories: 485 per serving
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Difficulty: easy
- Cuisine: Italian
- Health Score: 7/10

## Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 485
- Protein: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fat: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg

## Dietary Information
This recipe is: Vegetarian, Nut-Free

## Ingredients (4 servings)
- 2 pints Cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups)
- 8 oz Feta cheese block (whole block, not crumbled)
- 0.5 cup Extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 10 oz Pasta (cavatappi, rigatoni, or penne)
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves (minced)
- 0.25 cup Fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 tsp Salt (plus more for pasta water)
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper (freshly cracked)
- 0.25 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)

## Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
2. Add cherry tomatoes to a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, add salt and pepper, and toss to coat
3. Place feta block in the center of the tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes
4. Bake for 35 minutes until tomatoes burst and feta is golden
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining
6. Remove baking dish from oven. Add garlic and mash everything together with a fork to create a creamy sauce
7. Add drained pasta and basil to the dish. Toss until well coated, adding pasta water if needed for creaminess
8. Serve immediately with extra basil and black pepper

## Allergen Information
Contains: dairy, gluten

## Tags
viral, tiktok, baked-feta

## Source
Recipe by: CalorieGram AI

## Machine-Readable Data

### Recipe Metadata
```json
{
  "id": "bd08cea1-35ab-4889-bca4-4f4b47373d34",
  "youtube_id": null,
  "title": "Original Baked Feta Pasta",
  "cuisine_type": "Italian",
  "meal_type": [
    "dinner"
  ],
  "difficulty_level": "easy",
  "servings": 4,
  "prep_time_minutes": 10,
  "cook_time_minutes": 35,
  "total_time_minutes": 45,
  "health_score": 7,
  "created_at": "2025-06-24T17:03:37.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-06-24T17:03:37.000Z"
}
```

### Ingredients Data
```json
{
  "servings": 4,
  "ingredients": [
    {
      "name": "Cherry tomatoes",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "pints",
      "notes": "about 4 cups"
    },
    {
      "name": "Feta cheese block",
      "amount": 8,
      "unit": "oz",
      "notes": "whole block, not crumbled"
    },
    {
      "name": "Extra virgin olive oil",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "divided"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pasta",
      "amount": 10,
      "unit": "oz",
      "notes": "cavatappi, rigatoni, or penne"
    },
    {
      "name": "Garlic cloves",
      "amount": 4,
      "unit": "cloves",
      "notes": "minced"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fresh basil",
      "amount": 0.25,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "chopped"
    },
    {
      "name": "Salt",
      "amount": 1,
      "unit": "tsp",
      "notes": "plus more for pasta water"
    },
    {
      "name": "Black pepper",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "tsp",
      "notes": "freshly cracked"
    },
    {
      "name": "Red pepper flakes",
      "amount": 0.25,
      "unit": "tsp",
      "notes": "optional"
    }
  ]
}
```

### Nutrition Data (per serving)
```json
{
  "calories": 485,
  "macros": {
    "protein_g": 14,
    "carbs_g": 52,
    "fat_g": 25,
    "fiber_g": 3,
    "sugar_g": 6,
    "sodium_mg": 680
  },
  "dietary_tags": {
    "vegan": false,
    "vegetarian": true,
    "gluten_free": false,
    "dairy_free": false,
    "nut_free": true
  }
}
```

---
This recipe is from CalorieGram Recipes - Your AI-powered healthy recipe discovery platform.
Visit https://recipes.caloriegram.ai for more healthy recipes.