Easy | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 2–3

The one that broke TikTok. And honestly? It deserved to. A block of feta roasted until it collapses into the tomatoes around it, then stirred through pasta. It’s barely a recipe — more of a method — and it works every single time. The feta goes creamy, the tomatoes burst into a sweet, tangy sauce, and you’re eating in half an hour with almost no effort.

Ingredients

  • 200g pasta (orecchiette, penne, or fusilli work best)
  • 200g block of feta cheese
  • 400g cherry tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
  • Good olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • Fresh basil
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Set up the bake Preheat oven to 200°C (fan). Scatter the cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Nestle the garlic cloves among them. Place the feta block in the centre. Drizzle everything generously with olive oil. Sprinkle over the oregano, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper.

  2. Roast Bake for 25–30 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is golden on top and soft all the way through.

  3. Cook the pasta While the oven does the work, cook your pasta in salted water to al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water.

  4. Combine Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins into the dish. Mash the feta into the tomatoes with a fork, stirring everything into a rough, creamy sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce coats everything.

  5. Serve Finish with torn basil and more olive oil.

Cook With Your Senses

Inspired by Ethan Chlebowski’s sensory approach to cooking — the idea that your senses should tell you more than a timer ever could.

  • Look: The feta should be golden-brown on top and visibly soft — it should sag when you touch it with a fork. The tomatoes should have burst and released their juice, creating a natural sauce.
  • Listen: You’ll hear the tomatoes pop and hiss as they burst in the oven. That’s good — it means they’re caramelising.
  • Smell: Roasted garlic has a sweet, mellow smell nothing like raw garlic. When you can smell it through the oven door, you’re close.
  • Touch: When you mash the feta, it should yield immediately — creamy and spreadable, not crumbly.
  • Taste: The roasted tomatoes should be sweet and concentrated. The feta should be tangy and salty. Together they should balance without needing much else.

Notes

  • Use a good feta — a proper block, not the pre-crumbled stuff. Greek feta in brine has the best flavour and melts beautifully.
  • Don’t skip the garlic cloves. Roasted garlic is sweet and mellow and it rounds out the whole dish.
  • The chilli flakes are doing more work than you think. Don’t leave them out.
  • Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Inspiration

Adapted for Ryan’s kitchen. Original inspiration: feelgoodfoodie.net