The other day my daughter announced that she and her boyfriend were going to make the viral Tik Tok video recipe for Feta, Tomato & Basil Pasta. Turns out it became so popular, stores were selling out of the ingredients! They made it and loved it. I decided to make my own plant-based version to see what the fuss was all about! Sure enough, it’s freaking delicious! You can make this using a block of store bought feta cheese as well, just check out your local health food store. Just be ready for lots of salt and added oil!

The first store I went to was in fact sold out of cherry tomatoes and basil… coincidence? I think not…

What makes up the “Feta”?

I decided to try making plant-based feta using tofu, cashews and nutritional yeast as the base. Feta has quite a tangy taste so I also added some spices, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. I placed it all in my Vitamix and voila, vegan feta! If you aren’t a tofu fan, or you don’t think your kids will eat it, trust me when I say they will never know. And if you still think tofu causes man-boobs and breast cancer, let this article put your mind at ease. 😉

This recipe for Vegan Feta, Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta is super easy!

It’s just cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic, spices, fresh basil, and teensy bit of olive oil, (optional). (Just as a side, in the Tik Tok recipe, they call for 1/2 cup of olive oil! That is 960 calories in added oil! That doesn’t even take into account the fat in the feta.)

My recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of oil all together, which is optional. I also added asparagus to the final recipe for a little extra fiber and deliciousness! My daughter told me not to make this recipe “healthier” like I do to every recipe… Sorry kid, that is what I do, and man did it turn out great!

I posted my first real video on Instagram, (that I actually edited, yay me!), showing how to put the entire pasta together, including the final result. You can find it on Instagram at @thevibrantveggie. Man, I wish I could have shared the wafting aroma in my kitchen when the casserole came out of the oven! I felt like I was in Italy! Delicioso.

The downside of real feta…. Did you know? (gasp)

Regular feta contains whole milk, cream, salt and microbial enzymes (rennet). Don’t know what rennet is? Well, no pun intended, but stomach this…

Rennet is a substance found in the fourth stomach lining of baby goats, lambs and calves. It is used to break the solid particles in milk away from the water content, in order to form a solid mass. It gives feta its curdled, firm texture. Rennet is only produced in the stomach of young animals’, as, once they are no longer suckling from their mother and start eating only plant matter, it disappears. UCK! Really? Do we need to take enzymes from baby ruminants’ stomachs in order make a delicious pasta sauce? I’ll prove to you through this recipe that we do not.

What is great about this version?

Trust me, the feta variation in this recipe may not have the exact same consistency but it’s worth it. There is no saturated fat, no cholesterol, zero antibiotics or animal hormones and far less salt. Most importantly, no animals had to give up their stomach lining for your dinner. Learn more about rennet here.

Here is my version of the Tik Tok tomato pasta with Feta! Enjoy and please let me know if you make it!

Plant-based Feta, Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta (Tik Tok)
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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

PLANT-BASED FETA:

1 package medium/firm tofu (440 grams)

1 cup raw cashews (must be raw)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon olive oil (or sub water or veggie broth)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

MAIN PASTA SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of dry pasta of your choice (for a healthy option look for whole wheat, or whole grain pastas like quinoa, lentil, chickpea, etc.)

3 cups whole cherry tomatoes

1 cup asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil (add more or less, or substitute for veggie broth if desired)

4-6 cloves garlic, minced (depending how much you love garlic)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

a pinch of salt

Instructions

Place all of the sauce ingredients into a high powered blender. If you do not have a Vitamix or equivalent blender, make sure to soak raw cashews in hot water for at least an hour before using. Blend, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary. A little bit of texture is fine.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium sized casserole dish, add whole cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, asparagus chunks, olive oil and spices.

Add one cup of plant-based feta from the blender into the center of the casserole. You will have enough feta for a second casserole. You can pop it in the freezer to use at another time, or it will last in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. Place the casserole in the oven uncovered and bake for 30 minutes.

While the casserole dish is baking in the oven, cook the pasta on the stove using boiling, salted water. Only cook until "al a dente" in order to avoid mushy pasta. Make sure to drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

When the casserole is done cooking, remove it from the oven and mix in the fresh basil and pasta. Stir well.

Serve immediately. Add chili flakes for spice if you like.

www.thevibrantveggie.com

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