Baked Feta Pasta Cranberries (Printable)

A creamy pasta featuring roasted feta, fresh cranberries, honey, and basil in a warm Mediterranean style.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy & Cheese

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables & Fruits

02 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup fresh cranberries
04 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

→ Pasta

05 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Oils & Seasonings

06 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Sweetener

10 - 2 tablespoons honey

→ Herbs

11 - ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place the block of feta in the center of a baking dish. Surround it with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh cranberries, and smashed garlic cloves.
03 - Drizzle the olive oil over the feta and surrounding ingredients. Sprinkle with dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes if using, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
04 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the feta turns golden and cranberries start to burst.
05 - While baking, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven. Use a fork to gently mash the baked feta, tomatoes, and cranberries together, creating a creamy sauce.
07 - Add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, honey, and chopped basil to the creamy mixture. Toss gently until thoroughly combined and creamy.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a luxurious sauce with almost zero effort, making you look like you've been cooking all day.
  • That sweet-tart combination of honey and cranberries against salty feta is genuinely addictive and feels special enough for company.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes, which means you can spend more time with people and less time in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The pasta water is essential—those starch molecules are what transforms the roasted vegetables and cheese into an actual sauce instead of just a chunky mix.
  • Don't skip the step of reserving pasta water before you drain; going back to drain it again means cold pasta, which won't absorb flavors as well.
  • Fresh basil added at the end makes a real difference in flavor and color; dried basil will disappear into the warm sauce and taste like dust.
03 -
  • Don't skip smashing the garlic—it becomes mellow and almost sweet when roasted whole, whereas minced garlic can turn sharp and bitter in the heat.
  • Taste the pasta water before draining it; if it seems undersalted, add a pinch more salt because that starchy liquid is what carries seasoning into the sauce.
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