Baked Feta Honey Chili (Print version)

Creamy baked feta with roasted tomatoes, honey, and chili flakes for sweet-spicy Mediterranean flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese & Dairy

01 - 7 oz block feta cheese

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes
03 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rigatoni)

→ Oils & Acids

05 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

06 - 1 tsp dried oregano
07 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (plus extra for garnish)
08 - Kosher salt, to taste
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnishes & Sweeteners

10 - 2 tbsp honey
11 - Zest of 1 lemon
12 - 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn

# How to Make:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes with chopped garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and half of the red pepper flakes. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Nestle the block of feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining red pepper flakes.
04 - Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and the feta is golden and softened.
05 - While baking, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
06 - Remove the baked feta and tomatoes from the oven. Drizzle honey over the top and scatter lemon zest evenly.
07 - Stir the feta and tomatoes in the baking dish until a creamy sauce forms. Add cooked pasta to the dish and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water gradually to achieve a silky consistency.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with torn fresh basil leaves and additional red pepper flakes to taste.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The feta melts into a creamy, luxurious sauce that coats every bite of pasta without any cream in sight.
  • Sweet honey, spicy chili, tangy feta, and bright lemon zest hit all your taste buds at once in a way that feels both comforting and exciting.
  • Start to finish is under 45 minutes, and most of it is just oven time where you can pour a drink and relax.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—that starch is what transforms everything into a proper sauce instead of just coated noodles.
  • The feta should still have some structure when it comes out of the oven; if it completely melts into a puddle, your dish loses its textural contrast and becomes one-note.
03 -
  • If you have access to hot honey (spicy honey drizzle), use it instead of regular honey and skip some of the red pepper flakes for a more cohesive spicy-sweet vibe.
  • Don't be shy about seasoning at every stage—the tomatoes, the feta, the final toss—because layers of salt and pepper are what make this taste restaurant-quality instead of flat.
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