This Ground Lamb Pasta with feta, cherry tomatoes & calabrian chiles is the tastiest way to recreate the baked feta TikTok craze that’s been sweeping the internet. It’s creamy, tangy and so super delicious!
Table of Contents
You may have seen the baked feta pasta recipe craze sweeping the internet and TikTok recently.
Here’s how the original TikTok feta tomato pasta went down:
- Take a brick of feta.
- Surround it with cherry tomatoes.
- Drizzle it in olive oil.
- Roast it in the oven until it’s golden and melty.
- Mash it up.
- And toss it with some hot pasta.
What’s not to love, right?
I took that standard baked feta recipe and put my own twist on it.
Here’s what I added:
- Garlic. It melts into the roasted tomatoes and adds so much flavor!
- Calabrian Chiles. They add a little heat and a bright flavor to the dish.
- Lemon Zest. Helps to brighten everything up at the end and makes the flavor pop.
- Lamb. I browned up some ground lamb and tossed it with everything at the end. Best decision ever!
Talk about a flavor bomb.
While you could make this recipe with ground beef, I chose lamb for its amazing flavor and to add a bit more excitement to this dish.
Are you intimidated to cook with lamb?
Don’t be! Ground lamb in particular is a great way to branch out and try something new! Plus, it’s not expensive at all. Upgrading to lamb from ground beef just costs a couple more dollars. Try swapping ground lamb into all your favorite recipes… In particular, you’ve got to try these Red Wine Lamb Burgers and Lemon Orzo Bowls with Lamb & Tzatziki!
How to make baked feta pasta
Step 1
Add tomatoes to baking dish
- Combine tomatoes, garlic & olive oil with salt and pepper in a baking dish.
Step 2
Top with feta and bake
- Top with feta cheese and drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Bake 40 minutes, until garlic has softened and tomatoes begin to burst.
- Cook pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- Brown the ground lamb.
Step 3
Bake
- Bake 40 minutes, until garlic has softened and tomatoes begin to burst.
- Cook pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- Brown the ground lamb.
- Remove tomatoes and feta from the oven and add calabrian chiles.
Step 4
Smash the tomatoes
- Smash tomatoes and feta into a creamy sauce.
Step 5
Toss it all together
- Add the pasta, lamb and lemon zest and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the pasta cooking liquid to loosen things up.
Step 6
Enjoy!
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Enjoy!
What types of pasta can I use?
- I used orecchiette pasta in this recipe. However, you can use any type of pasta that you prefer. Other great options are rigatoni, linguini, spaghetti farfalle, and shells.
What to serve with it
- Arugula Salad
- Peach Caprese Salad
- Radicchio Salad with Olives & Parmesan
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad with Roasted Lemons
- Fennel and Chickpea Salad
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard & Parmesan
- MORE —> the BEST sides for pasta.
Erin’s wine pairings for ground lamb pasta
- Pinot Noir. Its bright acidity and earthy notes pair well with the richness of the lamb and the bright flavors of the calabrian chiles and lemon.
- Merlot would also be a great match for this delicious dish.
- Sauvignon Blanc is a great white wine pairing option.
- MORE → my 8 favorite lamb wine pairings.
More recipes with feta cheese
More lamb recipes
Did you try this lamb and feta pasta?
If you loved this ground lamb pasta I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
Full Recipe
Ground Lamb Pasta with Feta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus 1 Tablespoon, divided)
- 7-8 ounce block feta cheese
- 12 ounces pasta (orecchiette, rigatoni, ziti, etc.)
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 Tablespoon calabrian chiles (chopped, or calabrian chile paste)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Fresh basil leaves (for serving)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place the feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes, drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the garlic has softened and the tomatoes begin to burst.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes and feta from the oven and add the calabrian chiles. Using a fork or a potato masher, smash the tomatoes and feta into a creamy sauce. Add the pasta, lamb and lemon zest and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the pasta cooking liquid to loosen things up.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with fresh basil. Enjoy!
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