Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
This Vegan Baked Feta Pasta is a Mediterranean-inspired, veganized version of the viral TikTok pasta recipe made famous by Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen. In our version, we take it to the next level with flavors like tahini, kalamata olives, and roasted red peppers. Made with a luxurious homemade vegan feta cheese sauce, this recipe is not only a cheaper version than using store-bought vegan feta cheese, but it’s healthier and allergy-friendly too.
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It’s no secret I’m really into feta. From our vegan feta cheese block recipe which is a favorite for salads, a vegan feta and spinach grilled cheese that is just perfect with tomato soup, and a vegan whipped feta dip that is a MUST for pita chips and falafel bowls, I make my love for this tangy cheese quite known! 🙂
And now, after watching about 5 million people make that viral baked feta pasta on TikTok and Instagram, I present to you our own veganized version of this dish, inspired by some of our favorite Mediterranean flavors!
And we’re obsessed. Even T, who doesn’t like cheese all that much, went nuts for it. He said there is just the right vegetable-to-cheese ratio.
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Why We Love This Vegan Feta Pasta
- You don’t need to buy an expensive block of vegan feta, nor do you have to wait hours for a homemade feta to chill. We’ve made a vegan feta sauce using common ingredients (and NO cashews!).
- It’s totally customizable. Mix it up with whatever veggies you love or happen to have in your fridge at the moment.
- It makes a ton. Perfect for serving at a family dinner when you want to impress.
- It’s warm and cozy but packed with veggies and protein and healthy fats and FLAVOR.
How to Veganize TikTok Baked Feta Pasta
For our veganized baked feta pasta, we are using an easy feta sauce that requires a few staple ingredients for flavor and tofu for the base, which packs a power punch of protein! You’ll be shocked how simple it can be to make a vegan feta sauce that tastes shockingly like the real deal!
(Note: Find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!)
Here’s what you’ll need for the feta sauce:
- firm tofu
- refined coconut oil
- tahini
- kalamata olive brine (That’s the “water” from a jar of kalamata olives.)
- lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- salt, black pepper, and onion powder
For the rest of the dish, we stuck with some of our favorite Mediteranean-inspired flavors that create a fresh and hearty vegan pasta dish you won’t be able to stop eating!
For the rest of the dish, you’ll need:
- penne pasta
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
- roasted red peppers
- kalamata olives
- fresh garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (for a pinch of spicy!)
Substitution Options for Vegan Feta Pasta
One of the greatest things about this vegan baked feta pasta is how versatile it is! It’s a great opportunity to toss in your favorite veggies or the ones that are lurking in the back of your fridge, begging to be utilized before their demise. (I hear you, broccoli!)
Here are our best substitution tips for this vegan baked feta pasta:
Tofu Options:
We suggest using firm tofu for this recipe. Extra firm is not interchangeable but can be used in a pinch. You may need to add a little warm water to the food processor if you have trouble blending it. I would not recommend using silken tofu for this recipe, as that is an entirely different beast and results in a vastly different texture.
Tofu-Free Ideas: If you don’t want to use tofu, you can also make this sauce with some raw cashews or sunflower seeds that have been soaked to soften. If you do use nuts or seeds, you will have to add extra water to it and play around with the amounts though.
Feta Shortcuts: You can also just use store-bought feta (We like Violife). If doing this, I would use at least two blocks though because this sauce recipe makes A TON of feta sauce and those blocks are pretty small by comparison.
Notes on coconut oil:
Make sure you’re using REFINED coconut oil here and not one labeled “unrefined” or “virgin”. This will ensure your feta sauce doesn’t have a weird coconut flavor.
Coconut oil substitutions: You could technically sub olive oil here in a pinch, but olive oil and coconut oil behave totally differently and have a very different mouthfeel. I feel the coconut oil has a much more animal fat feel to it when added to a sauce like this which makes the cheesy sauce super decadent!
Oil-Free Notes: I would not recommend omitting the oil entirely, as the sauce would be missing a key fatty element without it.
Other Substitutions
For the tahini: If you don’t have or can’t find tahini, you could substitute your favorite store-bought or homemade hummus!
For the olive brine, lemon juice, vinegar: If you don’t have one of these, feel free to replace it with one of the others in this group. The flavor will be a bit different, but it will work! Also, feel free to use a different vinegar like white vinegar or rice vinegar. I would not recommend using a different type of olive brine (like black olives or green olives – those aren’t the flavors we’re looking for here.)
For the pasta: We found penne to be our preferred pasta for this sauce. They are strong enough to hold a thick heavy sauce and also it coats the pasta nicely so you get a ton of flavor with every bite! Feel free to replace this with your favorite pasta though. If you try something fun, let us know in the comments!
For the vegetables: Feel free to shake up this recipe with your own favorite veggies or whatever you happen to have in your fridge/garden at the time! Mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli perhaps?! Get wild and let us know in the comments if you try anything fun.
How to Make Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
This vegan baked feta pasta is so easy to make; do NOT be fooled by how fancy it may look or taste!
First, you’ll make the feta sauce by adding all of the ingredients in your food processor and blending on high, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed, for 2-3 minutes. We’re looking for a smooth and SHINY (that’s key!) texture. If it’s too grainy or dull, keep blending!
Next, we go straight to assembling our dish! We use a cast iron pan for this recipe but feel free to use a baking dish of your choice. You’ll add all the veggies and other add-ins, saving the olive oil for last to be drizzled over everything evenly. You finish by pouring that feta sauce right in the middle of it all.
Then, we bake it for about 10-15 minutes to get the vegan feta sauce all bubbly.
You’ll finish it under the broiler until the vegan feta sauce is nice and browned on top and most of the tomatoes are nice and charred.
Finally, we’ll stir the cooked pasta and we are good to go!
How to Serve Dairy-Free Feta Pasta
Serve this veganized baked feta pasta hot! We serve it scooped straight into a bowl and lovingly topped with minced fresh herbs like parsley.
Protein: While there’s actually a lot of protein in this dish already, thanks to the tofu base from our vegan feta sauce, feel free to load it up with some chickpeas, soy curls, or your favorite store-bought vegan chicken. (The Tofurky shredded chik’n is our choice!)
Side Dish Options: Serve this dish next to a big leafy green salad or even a tomato cucumber salad. It’s definitely a heavier dish, so I think something light on the side would really balance it out.
Mediterranean Pasta + Wine Pairing
There’s a lot going on in this dish — from the umami flavors of the tahini and kalamata olives to the slightly spicy crushed red pepper to the salt, fat, and acidity in the vegan feta sauce!
When a dish has this much going on, we know we can always turn to a sparkling rose! It will cleanse your palate between bites and cut through the fat and salt in the sauce while vibing with all the other flavors without overpowering them.
Some vegan-friendly sparkling roses we recommend:
How to Store Leftover Feta Pasta
This vegan feta pasta recipe makes a LOT — perfect for feeding a crowd or a smaller group of very hungry people. 😉
IN THE FRIDGE:
- You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Let the dish cool completely before refrigerating.
- If you’re storing it for longer than this, we recommend storing the pasta separately from the sauce and just mixing it in with each bowl you make. This will help your pasta from getting too soggy. You can also cook the pasta until just underdone to help with this issue as well.
IN THE FREEZER: I would not freeze this whole dish with the pasta and vegetables already combined, but you can totally freeze the feta sauce to make future baked pasta a breeze.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze the sauce in an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 8 weeks. Make sure you leave a little room at the top of the container or bag for the sauce to expand.
- TO USE: I would let the sauce defrost completely on the counter or in the fridge before using, but you may be able to get away with using it straight from the freezer. Let us know if you try it!
HOW TO REHEAT: You can reheat this pasta on the stove or in the microwave on low heat, stopping to stir and scrape the bottom regularly. You will want to add a little water or vegetable broth when reheating because the feta sauce will thicken considerably as it cools.
More Vegan Feta Cheese Recipes:
If you try our veganized and Mediteranean-inspired spin on the viral TikTok baked feta pasta, let us know how it goes! And if you have the time, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. This really helps Google prioritize our website and get our recipes to more people!
And if you’re posting photos of your feta-licious creations on Instagram, tag us so we can applaud your awesomeness! If you’re not already hanging out with us over there, we are @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
Ingredients
For the feta sauce:
- 1 16-oz block firm tofu (drained but not pressed)
- 1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 Tbsp kalamata olive brine water from the jar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
For the dish:
- 1/2 16-oz. box penne pasta
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup minced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional, for a little spicy
Instructions
- MAKE THE FETA SAUCE: Add all the ingredients for the feta sauce to your food processor and blend on high, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed, for 2-3 minutes. When the mixture goes from grainy and dull to smooth and shiny, it’s ready!
- COOK THE PASTA: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. I would stick to the lower end of the cooking time range suggested. Drain, spray with cold water, and set aside (covered).
- ASSEMBLE THE DISH: Preheat your oven to 400F and get out a large cast iron pan or baking dish. To it, add all the ingredients for the dish (excluding the pasta), saving the olive oil for last to be drizzled over everything evenly. Then, make some space in the middle of your pan and pour in the feta sauce.
- BAKE IT: Bake this dish at 400F for 10-15 minutes. Then, broil it for another 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. You want the cheese and tomatoes to be slightly browned. Some char on the tomatoes isn’t bad either!
- FINISHING TOUCHES: Stir the cooked pasta into the feta and veggies until totally combined. Serve topped with freshly minced parsley. Enjoy!
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