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1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the feta block in the center of a baking dish and scatter the cherry tomatoes around it.
3 cup cherry tomatoes,
8 oz feta cheese
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2. Drizzle olive oil over the feta and tomatoes, season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes, then toss the tomatoes to coat and turn the feta to coat in oil.
0.2 cup olive oil,
1 tsp dried oregano,
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes,
1 tsp kosher salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper
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3. Bake until the tomatoes are burst and jammy and the feta is golden at the edges and very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
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4. While the feta bakes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the short pasta until just shy of al dente according to package directions.
1 tsp kosher salt,
12 oz short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or similar)
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5. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
12 oz short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or similar),
0.8 cup pasta cooking water
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6. Finely mince the garlic. When the baking dish comes out of the oven, immediately add the garlic and tomato paste to the hot feta and tomatoes and stir until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the garlic is fragrant.
4 clove garlic,
2 tbsp tomato paste
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7. Pour in the vodka and stir, letting the residual heat reduce it for 1 to 2 minutes; for a no-vodka version, skip this step and proceed directly with the cream and pasta water.
0.2 cup vodka
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8. Stir in the heavy cream and a splash of pasta cooking water to create a silky, loose sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
0.5 cup heavy cream,
0.8 cup pasta cooking water
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9. Add the drained pasta to the baking dish and toss vigorously, adding more pasta cooking water as needed until each piece is glossed with sauce.
12 oz short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or similar),
0.8 cup pasta cooking water
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10. Roughly tear the fresh basil leaves and stir most of them through the pasta, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
1 tsp kosher salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper,
0.5 cup fresh basil leaves
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11. Serve the pasta hot, topped with the remaining basil, a shower of grated parmesan cheese if using, and an extra pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you like more heat.
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes,
0.2 cup fresh basil leaves,
0.5 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
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By james