This baked feta pasta dish is going viral on TikTok and you need it in your life!

Photo by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa

The Baked Feta Pasta

This incredibly simple and delicious pasta bake dish has been going viral on tiktok and for good reason, beyond being incredibly simple to make it actually tastes even better! We had talk with the original creator of the dish Jenni Häyrinen and got her opinion on why the dish is so popular as well as getting her original pasta bake recipe.

Photo by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background!

I’m a professional food blogger, enthusiastic home cook and a mother living in Helsinki, Finland. I’ve been blogging for 14 years already, published two cook books and co-operate with food companies. #uunifetapasta was awarded the phenomenon of the year in 2019 in Finland.

What is the story behind the baked feta pasta dish and how did you come up with it?

Two years ago, in February 2019, I was working from home. It was way due lunch time, I was getting really hungry and needed a quick lunch. I craved for oven baked feta, but needed to turn it into a meal. I figured baked feta and tomatoes would make a great pasta sauce, which it did!

I knew it was a great recipe so as I posted it, I asked my followers if they have tried the new viral pasta yet and used hashtag #uunifetapasta. It was more of a joke at first, but right away it started to go viral first on Instagram stories. The next weekend I had a 3-day #uunifetapasta live on my Instagram stories as I reposted my follower’s creations. News papers picked on it and not long everybody in Finland was cooking it. Some stores ran out of feta cheese, especially the label I used. Big local store chain reported their feta cheese sales went up 300 %.

Photo by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa

What is the recipe for the original dish?

My original recipe that went viral included block of feta, cherry tomatoes, lots of olive oil, fresh chili, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven and mix into a sauce when done. Add fresh basil leaves and durum wheat spaghetti, serve! So easy. Nowadays I throw in garlic cloves too. Read full recipe

The baked feta pasta dish has been going viral again on TikTok and had previously caused shops in Finland to sell out on feta, why do you think it’s become such a hit?

It is super easy and simple, ingredients are easy to get and suits vegetarians too. It doesn’t hurt that it’s instagramable in the baking dish, fun to make and tastes delicious. Anyone can cook uunifetapasta and succeed.

First in Finland my followers and other influencers in Instagram quickly picked up on it and in matter of days it was going viral. Newspaper were writing about it and everybody here were cooking it. Other defining moment was when American @grilledcheesesocial reposted my recipe summer 2019 and it started going viral in the States. Now it has landed TikTok and going viral globally.

Photo by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa

You have created some variations on the dish, which is your favourite one?

I will have to say the original is my all time favourite. Another favourite is the “spring edition” which is baked feta with asparagus and lemon.

Do you have any other recipes that you would like to share?

I have promised to translate all recipes to english that go viral in Finland. Can’t say it’s viral yet, but my “perfect semla” recipe is pretty popular at the moment in Finland. So maybe I will have to share that with the world soon!

Photo by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa

Where can people find out more about you and the recipes you create?

I’m most active on Instagram @liemessa (finnish and english) Now I pretty much had to join TikTok @liemessa (in english) . It’s a new turf but I’m excited! My blog liemessa.fi (in finnish, except the baked feta pasta recipe) Link to original uunifetapasta blog post (in finnish) Baked Feta Pasta recipe and story translated in my blog (in english)

One more thing I want to bring up!

International Uunifetapasta Day is held on Thursday 4th February. A year ago I launched National Uunifetapasta Day in Finland. The idea is for everyone to cook baked feta pasta on that day. This year, let’s make it global! To participate: cook baked feta pasta and post it using hashtag #uunifetapasta. I will also repost all baked feta pasta Instagram stories tagged @liemessa for 24 hours on the day.

Will you be making this pasta? If so what is your favourite combination?

All photos are by Jenni Häyrinen @liemessa