The Tik Tok roasted tomato and feta pasta with 5 Elements
Although tomatoes are not yet in season, out of curiosity, I decided to have a go at the Tik Tok roasted tomato and feta pasta. To be honest, I did not believe the recipe would be as easy as it claimed. I was wrong. The 5-element variation below is with the addition of bitter flavour and some extra sweetness. The flavours make it even more delicious and easy to follow, as with 5 Elements you do not forget any ingredient.
The amounts and the baking dish used (25cmx17cm) will serve 2-3 people.
The procedure
Place all the ingredients in the baking dish following the order:
- Sour 1 packet of cherry tomatoes (300-400g depending on the packet size),
- Bitter a pinch of thyme (fresh or dried), a pinch of turmeric (optional).
- Sweet 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, shake the dish energetically to coat the tomatoes with the spices.
- Pungent garlic cloves of 1 head unpeeled, scatter them around, a pinch of chilli cayenne, a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
- Salty a small pinch of sea salt (do not add too much as feta tends to be salty), shake the dish, place the whole feta piece in the centre and shake the dish again.
- Sour a splash of lemon juice,
- Bitter lemon zest of half a lemon (optional).
Bake in preheated oven to 200ºC for 25-30 minutes.
Just before the baking time is up, boil your favourite pasta according to the instructions or make your own pasta following the instructions here or here.
Finally, place your baking dish on the table. Mix the feta cheese with the tomatoes and add the pasta on top. Serve immediately sprinkled with some parsley tops or any other herbs of your choice.
For other recipes with feta go to pear and parsnip salad, watermelon salad or honey and lemon roasted feta.
