Potato gnocchi makes viral baked feta pasta even better

Not all viral recipes have staying power. But dishes like baked feta pasta, which blew up in 2021, are undeniably delicious, easily riffable and still posted today. The original combination of baked feta cheese, cooked pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes originated in Finland and was popularized in the U.S. by food influencer MacKenzie Smith of Grilled Cheese Social. Its simplicity makes it a great dish to adapt to a 5:30 Challenge, but it requires a few tweaks to take it to ultra-easy weeknight territory.

Roasted feta and tomatoes make a no-fuss creamy pasta sauce

The secret to the virality of baked feta pasta is in the alchemy between warm feta and roasted tomatoes. When smushed and mixed together, the cheese and tomatoes form a simple (and simply delicious) creamy sauce with minimum effort. Add a bit of garlic and fresh herbs and the sauce is even better.

Add gnocchi for a truly one-pan baked feta dinner

To my mind, the only downside of the original baked feta pasta was that you had to boil and drain pasta. It is an extra step with extra dishes. Instead, slip a couple packs of shelf-stable gnocchi onto the sheet pan with the tomatoes and feta. The gnocchi will cook through in the oven, turning browned and crisp, adding a filling starch with zero extra work. (Unless you count opening two packages as work.)

Use a generous amount of olive oil to crisp the gnocchi

Adding gnocchi to the mix does mean you’ll need to take care to prevent sticking. Depending on the brand, they may be more or less coated in flour in their packaging, so it’s best to use a heavy hand with olive oil to keep the gnocchi from fusing to the pan. A bonus? Olive oil brings fruity and peppery flavor to the final dish.

Baked Feta and Tomato Gnocchi made and styled by writer Kate Itrich-Williams at her home in Atlanta, GA. Photo taken on Thursday, June 25, 2026 for the 5:30 challenge. (Aaliyah Man for the AJC)

Baked Feta Gnocchi

• 2 (14- to 16-ounce) packages shelf-stable potato gnocchi
• 2 (10-ounce) containers cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese
• 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees, with one rack in the center of the oven and one rack 6 to 8 inches from the heating element.
2. Combine the gnocchi, tomatoes, oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed sheet pan. Use a Microplane or garlic press to grate the garlic over the tomatoes. (Alternatively, mince the garlic by hand, then add to the sheet pan.) Toss everything well to evenly coat in the oil. Nestle the feta in the center of the sheet pan among the tomatoes and gnocchi. Flip the block of cheese so both sides are coated in the oil. Top everything with the thyme sprigs.
3. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the tomatoes begin to burst and the gnocchi start to sizzle, about 15 minutes.
4. Turn the broiler to high and move the sheet pan to the rack closest to the broiler. Broil until the cheese and tomatoes are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the thyme sprigs. Use a fork to smush the feta, then mix it into the tomatoes and gnocchi to form a creamy sauce. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve.