This TikTok Trend for Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta May Be the Tastiest One Yet

From the Dalgona whipped coffee trend to the various takes on the quesadilla wrap hack, TikTok has bubbled up some pretty cool trends this year! This new-to-the-U.S. trend—which may just be the tastiest one yet—is this recipe for baked feta with cherry tomatoes. It's super easy to make and literally looks SO good, plus you can pair it with just about anything—think pasta, shrimp, chicken, baguette slices and more!

There are a growing number of videos for #bakedfeta on TikTok and Instagram alike—all of which point out that the groceries stores in Finland ran out of feta cheese because of this recipe, originally created by Finnish food artist and blogger, Jenni Häyrinen back in 2019 (@liemessa on Instagram and TikTok).

It uses just 6 ingredients, not counting basics we all have in our kitchen, like salt, pepper and olive oil—cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, chilis, basil and pasta—and is ready in just 25 minutes, which is perfect for busy weeknights. Bonus: It all comes together in just two pans (read: fewer dishes to wash).

How to Make Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine 1 pint of cherry tomatoes with olive oil, pepper garlic cloves and salt in a baking dish.
2. Add the block of feta to the center of the baking dish and top with sliced chilis and additional olive oil and cook for 14 minutes. Increase temperature to 440 degrees F and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and stir in fresh basil and cooked pasta (or cooked shrimp, chicken or simply scoop up with baguette slices).
4. Enjoy!

Now that this trend has his hit the U.S., the recipe is on everyone's TikTok feed, like this one on @feelgoodfoodie, by Yumna Jawad. But it doesn't stop there! Yumna and others have started to do delicious riffs on this easy meal, like in this version where she uses goat cheese, yellow cherry tomatoes and honey, and this Spanakopita-inspired version from Erin @spinachandbacon. YUM!

To help make this comforting dinner a little healthier, use whole-wheat pasta or a higher-fiber bean-based pasta (like Banza), add extra veggies in whenever you have the chance and because feta cheese is already salty enough, we would suggest adding just a little extra salt—like a pinch—or skipping it altogether, especially if you're watching your sodium intake.