One of the biggest surprises to come out of global lockdowns is TikTok, because really, what else did we have to do with our time? Work? Don’t make us laugh. But TikTok isn’t all cute dance challenges and snappy wardrobe changes. Oh no, the social media app has also been the birthplace of some of the tastiest trends to take over the world: Dalgona “Whipped” Coffee, cereal pancakes, serving up cake in a wine glass, and most recently, #FetaPasta.
We decided to give this carby-trend a try to see if we could recreate the sumptuous comfort food that millions are raving about. Because there has to be a reason that the hashtag #FetaPasta has generated over 30.5M views with videos created by people around the world including our own MENA stars: SaadRadio, Anfan, Layal Takieddine, Touma and Dana Kay.
@geminibakesDid the #fetapasta live up to the hype? #learnTok♬ original sound – Layal Takieddine
- Lay the foundation of baking tray with olive oil
- Add a bunch of tomatoes (you can decide between cherry, chopped, or even heirloom tomatoes)
- Place a brick of feta right in the middle
- You can also add red onions, garlic, bell peppers, herbs, olives, and capers
- Place the dish in the oven at 205 degrees and wait until the feta is softened
- Boil your favorite pasta while waiting
- Once the feta is softened and out of the oven, place the pasta on top and mix it together in the baking tray.
- Enjoy!
Though the steps are practically foolproof, we made a few (incredibly easy) tweaks to the recipe to make it even better.
@thedanakayCredits to @feelgoodfoodie for the amazing recipe 😍 وصفة باستا الفيتا سهلة و رهيبة 👍🏻#bakedfetapasta #fetapasta #viral♬ Italian Dinner Party – Italian Restaurant Music of Italy
Being the clever little ladies that we are, we omitted the salt because, as you know, feta is already incredibly salty. Boy are we glad we did! Otherwise, it would be overpoweringly salty. We also finished it with a drizzle of balsamic glaze to let the acid cut the saltiness and the fat from the cheese. And don’t forget to add a little of that pasta water to really bring the dish together. The result? A perfectly balanced and sumptuous dish. We kinda went crazy for it.
If we did it again, we would probably use only half the feta, and half ricotta to add more depth to the dish. But the bottom line, it’s definitely worth a try.
