Tik Tok Viral Pasta

Tik Tok Viral Pasta

How good? My roommate made a version of this recipe (with zucchini noodles in lieu of wheat pasta) a few days ago before I even knew I would be covering the topic and was utterly raving about how much she loved it. “It’s so easy even my 10-year-old nephew could make it,” she says. “I’ll definitely be making it again.”
Storage Notes: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.    (Aaron Hutcherson/The Washington Post) 

I made this recipe for my Sunday dinner by dividing the recipe into half.  I will have plenty leftover for another two more meals.  Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:
2 pints (17 1/2 ounces / 500 grams) cherry or grape  tomatoes

Pasta
4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
1 block (7 ounces / 200 grams) Greek feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces medium-length dried pasta, such as campanelle, rigatoni or rotini
Fresh basil leaves, for serving

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. Place the feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes and garlic, top with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle the entire dish with red pepper flakes and a little black pepper. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the garlic has softened and the tomatoes have burst their skins.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.

Mash the feta and tomatoes with a fork and mix until evenly combined. Mix the sauce with pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed if it looks a little dry. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. To serve, divide among bowls and top with plenty of basil leaves.