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You're the STAR Blog Hop & HOME Features

T his linky party is the perfect place to show off your creativity! Share your blog posts, for a chance to be featured next month!     WELCOME to the August 2022  " You're the Star " Blog Hop! Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog: Keep cool during these last few weeks of summer with my delicious 3-Ingredient No Churn Ice Cream ! ___________________________ WELCOME to  HOME feature week of the August 2022  " You're the STAR " blog hop! Meet your HOME week Hosts   This week is HOME feature week Swing by the Home Hosts' Blogs: Bev from Eclectic Red Barn Cindy from Mom, the Lunch Lady Niki from Life as a LEO Wife This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU! There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month.   The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:

TikTok Pasta with Broccoli & Bacon

 This deliciously creamy baked cheese pasta has been all the rage on TikTok and Instagram. Super simple to make and so delicious, your family will have you making it time and time again.


Keeping up with all the social media trends at my age can be exhausting. Every week there seems to be a new TikTok dance, a new Instagram challenge, or a new recipe that blows up the internet. That was the case with this Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta which originated on TikTok. For months I've been hearing about this recipe and how delicious it is. My friends have made it. Some of my family has made it. All with rave reviews. The thing with me is, I am not really one to hop onto trends. I'd rather march to the beat of my own drum, rather than copy every trend going around. BUT this trend I had to try.

What is TikTok Pasta?

I am not 100% who first posted this recipe video on TikTok. Basically the concept is that you place grape tomatoes in a baking dish, with garlic, a block of feta cheese and herbs. You then throw the dish in the oven, to roast the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are roasted and the cheese is nutty and melty, you toss in some cooked pasta and bam! Dinner is ready!

For years now, I've been making something similar to this on the stove top, using grape tomatoes and throwing in some shredded cheddar, rather than using feta. It is one of our favourite quick meals, so I was pretty sure we'd enjoy the TikTok pasta. Only one little problem.... my daughter does not like feta cheese. Plus one small piece of feta costs about $5.99 here in Canada, and for it to equal the amount in the video, it would cost me $15 in cheese. No thank you! So I had resigned myself to never trying this trend that everyone was so crazy about. Then I had a brilliant idea, as I was shopping for a charcuterie board. BOURSIN cheese!

What is Boursin Cheese?

Boursin is a type of Gournay Cheese, which is a creamy cheese, somewhat similar to cream cheese. Garlic and Fine Herbs was the first flavour of Boursin cheese, which was created in 1957, by Francois Boursin. It was first produced in Normandy and at one time was exclusively made in Croisy-sur-Eure, France. In 1990 the Boursin name was purchased by Unilever and it has been available in Canada and the U.S ever since. While Garlic and Fine Herbs is the original flavour, you can also purchase flavours such as Pepper, Fig & Walnut, Shallot and Chive, and a few other seasonal flavours. 

How do I make TikTok Pasta?

This recipe could not be any easier! The complete recipe with measurements can be found below. Firstly you place grape tomatoes in a casserole dish with garlic, onion, broccoli and Boursin cheese. Then you drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and herbs. Pop the casserole dish in the oven and bake until tomatoes are nicely roasted and have burst. 

While the tomatoes roast in the oven, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook your desired cut of pasta, according to package directions. Reserve a bit of pasta water before draining the cooked pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the roast tomato and cheese mixture and voila, dinner is ready!

Tips for making the perfect TikTok Pasta

Use grape or cherry tomatoes- this recipe works best with grape or cherry tomatoes, The skins get roasted and slightly sweet and when they pop, the juices create a luscious tomato sauce. 

Save some pasta water- this is my favourite trick, when I cook pasta and make my own sauce. If the sauce is too dry when I toss in the pasta, I add in some starchy pasta water, to create a looser, more moist, silky sauce.

Use the cheese you prefer- in my recipe I am using Boursin, because my daughter does not care for Feta. I've also heard of people using cream cheese. While I can not attest to how good the feta and cream cheese versions are; the Boursin version is amazing!

Add in some extras- I wanted to jazz up my dinner, so I decided to add some broccoli to my tomatoes, before throwing them in the oven. I wanted to use some of the fresh Lemon Thyme I am growing, so I threw in a few sprigs of that as well. I also had leftover bacon in the fridge and added it in for some smoky saltiness. 

Use your favourite pasta- in this recipe I used Penne, but this would also be great using Farfale, Macaroni, even Rigattoni. You could even make this low carb by using zucchini noodles!

PIN IT!!!

 
Equipment needed for this recipe

  • casserole dish, or dutch oven
  • large pot for pasta
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • strainer/colander
  • wooden spoon or spatula
TikTok Pasta with Broccoli & Bacon

1 lb penne pasta
1/2 C olive oil
2 pints grape tomatoes (20-24 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
5 sprigs fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme)
1 tsp dried basil
1 pkg Boursin Garlic and Fine Herb flavour
4 slices bacon, crumbled
pink sea salt and fresh ground pepper
fresh grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place tomatoes, garlic, onion and broccoli in a casserole dish. Drizzle with 1/2 C olive oil and season with basil, salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat tomatoes and broccoli. Nestle the Boursin cheese in the center and drizzle with a touch more olive oil. Add in thyme springs and place casserole dish in oven, baking for 30-40 minutes; until tomatoes burst and Boursin begins to brown.

While tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in pasta and cook according to package directions, or to al dente. Reserve 1 C pasta cooking water, before draining pasta in a colander. Return the pasta to the hot pot.

Once tomato and broccoli is roasted, fish out the thyme sprigs and dump contents of the casserole dish into the pot with the pasta. Add in crumbled bacon and toss pasta to coat thoroughly, adding pasta water if too dry. Top with fresh grated Parmesan before serving.

I am sharing this recipe with these linky parties!


Comments

  1. This looks amazing! I can't wait to try this. My mouth is literally watering looking at these pictures. Thank you so much for posting!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks you! I love that this trend is so customisable!

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  2. This takes me back to college. Out hot line made a pasta dish, similar to this one, but this looks so much better. I will definitely need to try it with my family.

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    Replies
    1. Oh cool! I'm definitely going to bring this to my hotline at school, when I am able to return.

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  3. Yum! I can definitely get behind this pasta dish! Thanks for sharing your version!

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  4. I've heard amazing things about this pasta dish from those that have tried it! Been wanting to, and you've made it so easy for me to do so! Thanks for this recipe...will be making soon! :)

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad my post has given you motivation to try the trend. It is such a delicious one!

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  5. Wow! This looks amazing (as always). Will have to try it out with the hubby. Might need to substitute the tomatoes, it maybe not ;)

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure if substituting the tomatoes would work. Part of what makes it work is the juice from the tomatoes when they roast and burst.

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  6. MMMM! I love that you mentioned social media and keeping up! so true!! This pasta dish looks amazing. Especially the bacon part

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    Replies
    1. Yes, when I first started blogging 13 yrs ago, things were much easier and social media was so simple. LOL

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  7. This look like a great side dish option. I never thought to go to tiktok for recipes. Thanks for sharing and showing me That there is yet another social media site I need to join��

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    Replies
    1. I'm not on tik tok much but there are some pretty neat food videos on it!

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  8. Delish! I love the addition of broccoli, it really adds to the nutrition of this pasta!

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  9. I'm a sucker for pasta. Well, completely weak for it, lol. I'm going to add this into my recipe rotation!

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  10. Great substitute idea, although I believe in the UK Boursin is more expensive than feta. Maybe I should try it with Cypriote halloumi and see what I get:)

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    Replies
    1. That is interesting that prices are so different around the world. I've yet to try halloumi, but I've heard it's delicious!

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  11. I have been dying to try this and just might have to throw it together one day this week. Looks easy, rich, and delicious!

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    Replies
    1. I love fast easy recipes, that taste amazing!

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  12. This looks so yummy and easy! I am going to try it, and your way too because I know my daughter won't like fetta either - but she really likes broccoli surprisingly. I am so glad I found your site I've already seen some more recipes I would love to make - the cinnamon rolls look delish!

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  13. I didn't realize that TikTok was a source for recipes!

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