# Components:
→ Cheese & Dairy
01 - 7 oz feta cheese block
02 - 2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes, mixed colors preferred
04 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
06 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
→ Pantry
07 - 12 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or rigatoni)
08 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Place the feta cheese block in the center of an oven-safe baking dish. Surround with cherry tomatoes, garlic slices, and red onion if using.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the arranged ingredients. Sprinkle dried oregano, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and freshly ground black pepper evenly.
04 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until tomatoes burst and feta edges turn golden.
05 - While baking, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven and gently mash feta, tomatoes, and garlic with a large spoon until creamy.
07 - Add hot pasta to the baking dish. Toss everything together, gradually adding reserved pasta water to achieve a silky consistency.
08 - Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
