Baked pasta with feta, olives and cherry tomatoes

• feta↗200 г блок g

  (vegetarian, if needed)

• cherry tomatoes↗400 г g
• black olives, pitted50 г g

  (optional)

• garlic cloves↗2

  unpeeled

• olive oil↗2 ст. л. tbsp
• short pasta250 г g

  to your liking

• basil leaves↗жменя

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C with convection, gas 6). In a large baking dish place the block of feta in the centre, and surround it with cherry tomatoes, olives (optional) and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and your favourite spices. Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst and brown and the feta develops golden edges. Then remove the dish, squeeze the garlic from its skin directly into it, mash it lightly with a fork and mix with the tomatoes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about a cup of the cooking water.

3. 3

   Transfer the pasta to the dish with the feta, add a little of the reserved water and toss quickly until the feta melts and the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. Add more water if needed to thin the sauce. Season with freshly ground black pepper, scatter the basil leaves and serve immediately.