Baked Feta Pasta (Finnish TikTok — Oven Method and Acid Balance)

Ingredients

• 200 g feta cheese DOP (Greek or Bulgarian), whole block
• 400 g San Marzano DOP tomatoes, canned whole
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil (Koroneiki, cold-pressed)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 tsp dried oregano (Greek)
• 0.5 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 200 g linguine or fettuccine
• 15 ml fresh lemon juice
• Fleur de sel
• Tellicherry black pepper

Method

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 200°C. Place feta block in a shallow ceramic dish; arrange crushed tomatoes, olives, and garlic around it.
2. 2
   Drizzle entire dish with 100 ml olive oil; scatter oregano and Aleppo pepper over top.
3. 3
   Bake uncovered for 22 minutes until feta edges soften and tomatoes blister slightly.
4. 4
   Bring 2 liters salted water to rolling boil; cook pasta 2 minutes under al dente target; reserve 120 ml pasta water.
5. 5
   Remove dish from oven; crush feta into creamy mass with a fork, emulsifying with pan juices and remaining 20 ml raw olive oil.
6. 6
   Add hot drained pasta directly to feta dish; toss vigorously, adding pasta water in 30 ml increments until sauce coats noodles with glossy emulsion (45–60 seconds).
7. 7
   Finish with lemon juice, fleur de sel, and cracked black pepper; serve immediately in warmed bowls.