Baked Feta Honey Chili (Printable Version)

Creamy feta baked with tomatoes, honey, chili, and pasta for a sweet and spicy Mediterranean dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese & Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Oils & Acids

05 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

06 - 1 tsp dried oregano
07 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (plus extra for garnish)
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
09 - Kosher salt, to taste

→ Garnishes & Sweeteners

10 - 2 tbsp honey
11 - Zest of 1 lemon
12 - 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place cherry tomatoes in a baking dish, add chopped garlic, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, black pepper, oregano, and half the red pepper flakes, then toss gently to combine.
03 - Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes, drizzle with additional olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining red pepper flakes.
04 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tomatoes have burst and feta is golden and slightly melted.
05 - Simultaneously, cook pasta in salted boiling water as per package instructions, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven, drizzle honey over the feta and tomatoes, scatter lemon zest on top, then stir to form a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce. Garnish with fresh basil and additional red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's basically a cheat code for impressive dinner—the oven does the heavy lifting while you boil pasta.
  • Sweet, spicy, and salty all dance together without any of them shouting over the others.
  • The creamy sauce comes from nowhere (just roasted feta and tomato juice) but feels like you've been stirring a pan for an hour.
02 -
  • Don't overcook your pasta—it keeps softening as it mingles with the warm feta and tomato, so stopping just short of al dente matters more than you'd think.
  • The sauce comes entirely from the feta melting into the tomato juice; if yours feels too thick, add pasta water a little at a time rather than more oil.
03 -
  • Use a block of feta, not crumbled—it holds together during roasting and creates a creamy base once it melts.
  • Don't skip the pasta water; it's the secret ingredient that makes the sauce silky instead of clumpy.
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