DUBAI: If you’re on social media, chances are you’ve drooled over one of countless images of baked feta pasta — a dish that went viral this year for that holy grail combination of anyone-can-do-it easiness and blissful deliciousness.
The dish, which consists of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and pasta, has been blasted all over the For You pages of millennials and Gen Z’ers on TikTok, and as of April 18, #bakedfetapasta has more than 111.4 million views on the social media platform.
For those looking to whip up the dish for iftar, we asked Iraqi-Canadian chef Faisal Hassoon to share a simple baked feta pasta recipe with an Arab twist.
The chef incorporates a fresh Middle Eastern flavor by way of roasted red peppers, sliced kalamata olives, a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkling of zest.
Baked Feta Pasta
(Serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
Olive oil 3tbsp
6 cloves garlic (minced)
60g kalamata olives (sliced thin)
250g roasted red peppers (diced)
6 fresh basil leaves (chiffonade)
350g pasta (rigatoni)
200g feta cheese (Greek, sheep or goat)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
Chilli pepper oil 1tbsp
Dried chilli flakes 1tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Step 1: In a medium sized pot bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta as per the instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain the remainder and set aside.
Step 2: Starting with a cold pan, cook garlic on low heat in olive oil. Allow it to simmer just before turning golden brown. Be sure not to overcook it as it will become bitter. Add red chilli flakes and roasted red peppers, let it simmer for a few minutes then add sliced olives. Maintaining low heat and turning with a spatula frequently.
Step 3: Place the whole block of feta into the center of the pan and into the oven at 375 Celsius for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Step 4: Place the pasta into the pan and mix well until all ingredients are well incorporated, adding reserved pasta water as needed.
Step 5: Finish with the zest and juice of one lemon, fresh cracked black pepper and thinly sliced basil. For an extra kick, drizzle over chilli oil and enjoy!
