Make This TikTok-Famous Dish At Home (Recipe!)

First it was sourdough bread, then banana loaf, followed by Dalgona coffee, hot cocoa bombs and pancake cereal. As the pandemic’s worn on, more and more make-at-home recipes have gone viral, enjoying their 15 foodie minutes of Internet fame. First seen on TikTok, this baked feta pasta is a delicious trending dish featuring cheese, cherry tomatoes and noodles. Try it in your own kitchen—and be sure to post the result! —Matina Somlai

1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 1.5 cups)
1 red pepper, sliced
1⁄2 red onion, sliced
1 block of feta cheese (200g)
1⁄2 head of garlic, top sliced off to expose the garlic cloves
4 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 more tbsp separated
1⁄4 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
2-3 sprigs of thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
Pinch of red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste
250g cavatappi pasta or other pasta of choice (about 2 heaping cups)
1⁄4 cup basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. In an oven-safe baking dish, combine tomatoes, peppers, red onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the feta and the garlic in the dish, pushing the other vegetables a little to the side. Add the olives and thyme springs. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil on top of the feta and garlic, and sprinkle some more pepper and red pepper flakes on top of the feta. Bake for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta as per package instructions. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water, when the pasta is almost cooked. Remove feta from the oven, and remove the thyme springs and garlic. Let the garlic cool on the side for a minute or so, and carefully pop each clove out into the baking dish. Mash all the tomatoes, garlic and feta together, and then mix with the rest of the vegetables. Mix in the pasta and the pasta water, until all combined. Add basil and toss. Serve warm, with more fresh basil and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

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