Have you've seen the great Tik-Tok trend of baking a chunk of feta in the middle of a sea of tomatoes? It rocked the social media food world, and for good reason! The dish is super easy to prepare, made with minimally processed ingredients, and tastes incredible. Last month, I was working with Norman's yogurt on Instagram content, and we made this dish....but with cream cheese! Turns out, cream cheese is INCREDIBLE (if not better) when baked, because it comes...well....really creamy. I knew I had to put my twist on this easy baked cream cheese pasta for the blog!
Ingredients:
- Cream cheese- It can be round or in the shape of a rectangle, whichever you prefer. I used full fat cream cheese, but a reduced fat will do the job!
- Cherry tomatoes- cherry or grape tomatoes work best.
- Pasta- I used cavatappi, because they are so beautiful and fun! You can use any shape you'd like.
- Garlic- Frozen garlic cubes are the easiest thing since sliced bread, but chopped fresh will be just fine.
- Sundried tomatoes- Not entirely necessary but they add some next level flavor, so highly recommended!
- Olive oil- opt for good quality olive oil.
- Seasonings- Salt and ground black pepper
- Basil- Use fresh chopped basil leaves as a garnish.
How to make the EASY baked cream cheese pasta
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 F. While the oven heats up, place the cream cheese in the center of an oven safe dish. Add the tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and garlic around the cream cheese.
- Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with the spices.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cream cheese is browned and starting to melt.
- While the cream cheese mixture is baking, cook pasta according to package directions, strain, and set aside.
- When the mixture is ready, stir it with a spoon to mix it into a nice creamy sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy immediately!
Can you make this in advance?
This dish is best enjoyed right away. If need be, make the components separately (toss the pasta with oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together) and combine just before serving.
Variations:
Vegetables: Try adding in your favorite vegetables like fresh spinach, kale, or even thinly sliced mushrooms!
Pasta: Use any shape pasta that you would like!
Proteins: Feel free to try this with some baked salmon.
More easy dinner recipes
Foil Packet Sausage and Potatoes
5 summer dinners your family will love
Easy Baked Cream Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes
- 2 cloves minced garlic or two frozen garlic cubes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil. for garnish
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 F. While the oven heats up, place the cream cheese in the center of an oven safe dish. Add the tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and garlic around the cream cheese.
- Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with the spices. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cream cheese is browned and starting to melt.
- While the cream cheese mixture is baking, cook pasta according to package directions, strain, and set aside.
- When the mixture is ready, stir it with a spoon to mix it into a nice creamy sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and garnish with fresh basil.
- Enjoy immediately!
Based on 80 Review(s)
[…] EASY Baked Cream Cheese Pasta […]