Easy and Colorful Baked Feta Pasta

I like to call it Christmas Pasta with all its holiday colors.
INGREDIENTS
  • 8 ounces dried Cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 8- ounce block feta cheese
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil plus more for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
  2. Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the cherry tomatoes and flip a couple times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts.
  4. While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid in case you’d like to toss it in.
  5. Immediately add the garlic and basil leaves to the cooked tomatoes and feta and toss everything to combine.
  6. Transfer the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve warm.