📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Set a rack in the middle and preheat to 425°F (220°C). A fully preheated oven is why the feta browns on the edges while the tomatoes stay juicy inside.
2. 2Build the baking dish — Place the feta block in the center of a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) dish, scatter the tomatoes and garlic around it, pour over the olive oil, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Toss the tomatoes lightly to coat but leave the feta intact.
3. 3Roast until blistered — Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and their skins are split and lightly browned and the feta is golden at the edges — about 425°F (220°C) the whole time. You'll hear the tomatoes sizzling and popping; that's your cue it's close.
4. 4Boil the pasta — With about 15 minutes left on the oven, boil the pasta in well-salted water until just shy of al dente, 1 minute under the package time. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking water, then drain.
5. 5Mash into a sauce — Pull the hot dish from the oven and immediately mash the feta into the tomatoes with a fork until it forms a thick, creamy, slightly chunky sauce. Do this while everything is steaming hot so the cheese stays fluid.
6. 6Emulsify with pasta water — Add the drained pasta to the dish along with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the reserved water and toss vigorously for 30 seconds. Add more water a splash at a time until the sauce coats every piece and looks glossy rather than oily.
7. 7Finish and serve — Fold in the torn basil and half the Parmesan, taste for salt, and serve at once with the remaining Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. The dish tightens as it sits, so a final splash of pasta water at the table is never wrong.