TikTok Recipe Makeover

I am sure that many of you have witnessed the explosive popularity of TikTok and while many people (like me) do not have TikTok, the videos published are visible on a variety of platforms. The availability of the videos, is how I found the early post…about the “whipped coffee” and I also where I came across the viral feta pasta video. And while the recipe was simple and seemed…possibly tasty, I wasn’t into it. I do not like fresh cooked tomatoes, plain feta is sort of bland and plain pasta is plain pasta…so I made some changes! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

Thank you for your continued patience, as I navigate the new platform options! I am someone who knows the basics about these things and learning as I go, but I hope this post is easier for you all to read.

I appreciate you all! Chef Steph

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 block of tomato basil feta cheese
  • 1- 32oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1-2 TBSP of chopped garlic
  • 1 TBSP of olive oil
  • salt, pepper, onion powder
  • 2 packages of refrigerated cheese tortellini (you can use dry, but I prefer the fresher option of refrigerated tortellini)
  • 1 roll of plain breakfast sausage (if you are looking to make this dish vegetarian, just leave out the sausage)
  • 3-4 cups of fresh spinach

SAUCE PREPARATION:

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Place block of feta in center of baking dish
  • Poor crushed tomatoes around the cheese
  • Add 1-2 TBSP of chopped garlic, on top of the tomatoes. (use more or less, depending on your taste preferences)
  • Drizzle 1 TBSP of olive oil over cheese and tomatoes
  • sprinkle with crushed black pepper and onion powder. (I also suggest adding 1tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, but it is not required)
  • Bake for 35 min, at 350 degrees, then turn off the oven and leave the sauce in the oven, while you prepare the remaining items.

Feta, tomatoes, garlic, oil and spices…ready for the oven!
Baked at 350, for 35min. Then left in the warm oven, while I prepared the sausage/spinach and tortellini.

PASTA & MEAT PREPARATION:

  • Brown the sausage. Break it up as it cooks.
  • While the sausage is cooking, boil the water for your pasta. Once the water is boiling, follow the cooking instructions on the package. *keep an eye on the cook time, bc you don’t want mushy pasta
  • Once the sausage is fully cooked, drain it. (I leave the sausage in the pan and soak up the grease with paper towels)
  • With the heat on medium-low, add the spinach, one handful at a time. It will take about 5min for you to get all of the spinach incorporated and wilted. Don’t crank up the heat, bc burned spinach is NOT good.
  • Remove the feta and sauce, from the oven. Gently break up the feta block and stir to combine it with the tomato sauce. TASTE it and add a pinch of salt IF needed
  • Assemble the dish and enjoy!!!!!

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