That Viral Baked Feta Pasta Thing (Is Really Good, Actually) | Kenji's Cooking Show

Summary by Krater

J. Kenji López-Alt demonstrates how to make the viral baked feta and cherry tomato pasta, explaining why cherry tomatoes and Greek sheep's milk feta work best.

From the video

Answers: How do you make baked feta pasta?

• baked feta pasta
• cherry tomatoes
• pasta water emulsion
• cooking pasta with low water

Ingredients

• 1 lb cherry tomatoes
• 6-8 oz feta cheese
• 4 cloves garlic
• chili flakes
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• black pepper
• 8 oz rigatoni pasta
• basil

What it concludes

• Use Greek sheep's milk feta because American feta is not creamy enough and can become gritty.
• Cherry tomatoes are better than larger tomatoes in winter because their smaller size leads to higher ripeness and better pectin content for thicker sauce.
• You do not need a large volume of water to cook modern pasta; just enough to cover it works well.
• Emulsifying pasta water with oil and cheese creates a creamier sauce that coats the pasta better.
• You can substitute chevre or brie for feta, or re-bake the dish after mixing.