Feta Pasta TikTok Sensation

Did you catch the Baked Feta Pasta sensation on TikTok earlier this year? Well it made it into Jane’s meal rotation during her kitchen remodel, adapted for her Instant Pot as Feta Marinara.

With no stove top or oven for 8 weeks during the remodel there was some mental agility needed for dinner prep. In previous posts this month I covered the How To’s on setting up a temporary kitchen, followed by some Double Duty dinners in this handy flipbook to save time, money, and washing dishes. Now Feta Marinara hits the spot for one-pot simplicity.

Seriously Simple

To be transparent this sensational soft, creamy warm feta bathed in tomato sauce is not the same baked pasta dish as the Tik Tok recipe. I made this for the Instant Pot using canned tomatoes (in place of cherry tomatoes), feta, and Tuscan herbs blend as the marinara base. I served it dunked with chunks of sourdough bread torn from a fresh loaf. Add pasta (or even canned, white beans) to the finished dish, by all means!

The marinara sauce is very simply a preparation of aromatics with feta cheese added to the pot and cooked for 4 minutes.

Print Recipe

Feta Marinara with Crusty Sourdough

Soft, creamy warm feta bathed in tomato sauce just a few simple ingredients pack a lot of flavor and satisfaction.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups 1 large onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tuscan Blend
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 x 8oz blocks of Feta cheese
• extra olive oil for serving
• 1 sourdough loaf

Instructions

Pressure Cook

• Heat oil on sauté function low; soften onion for 3-4 minutes
• Stir in garlic and turn off sauté function
• Stir in the Tuscan blend, & tomatoes
• Lay the 2 pieces of Feta on top of the sauce
• Secure the cooker lid, seal pressure valve; cook on Manual/Pressure for 4 minutes.
• Vent with Quick Pressure Release
• Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top, & scoop with crusty bread OR 16 oz cooked penne pasta

Slow Cook

• Heat the oil in a skillet; add onion and cook for 3 minutes; transfer to cooker
• Stir in garlic, Tuscan blend, & tomatoes
• Lay the 2 pieces of Feta on top of the sauce
• Cover and cook on LOW: 6 hours or HIGH: 3 hours
• Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top, & scoop with crusty bread OR stir into 16 oz cooked penne pasta

Oven Baked

• Add the oil, onoin, garlic, tomatoes, & feta to an oven proof dish and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minute
• Remove from oven, stir and serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top, & scoop with crusty bread OR stir into 16 oz cooked penne pasta

Seriously Versatile

This Marinara sauce base is a simple starter for other recipes;

• simple spaghetti sauce – add 16 oz ground beef to the pot along with the onions and adjust cook time to 12 minutes manual pressure in the Instant Pot
• marinara meatballs – add a frozen package of meatballs to the pot with the tomatoes and adjust cook time to 8 minutes on manual pressure in the Instant Pot
• baked penne pasta with Italian sausage – cook 16oz penne pasta; drain, stir into Marinara sauce and pour into baking dish, top with 2 cups shredded mozarella & 1/2 parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbline.
• baked spinach & ricotta stuffed shells

Zen Moment

Sensation – a state of excited feeling or interest caused among a number of persons or throughout a community, as by some rumor or occurrence.

Sensational – extraordinarily good!