Gigi Hadid’s vodka pasta, Rihanna’s mac and cheese, TikTok’s baked feta: chefs put viral pasta recipes to the test

The TikTok-famous baked feta cheese pasta recipe is, cooking experts agree, as good as influencers make it out to be – but what about other viral pasta dishes?

Rihanna’s mac and cheese has a nice touch of heat but chefs dislike the mustard, while the richness in Gigi Hadid’s vodka pasta doesn’t come from the alcohol

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The TikTok famous baked feta pasta recipe is as good as influencers make it out to be, say experts. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:15pm, 10 Apr 2022

Pasta and noodles are great at any time of the day. Maybe that’s exactly why viral recipes regularly do the rounds on social media.

But which Instagram- and TikTok-friendly recipes pass the culinary test IRL (in real life)?

Baked feta pasta is the mother of all pasta trends. A block of feta is placed in a casserole dish before cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and herbs are added. After 20 to 25 minutes in the oven, the feta is soft and can be mixed with the other ingredients to form a sauce. Quickly stir in the cooked pasta – and dinner is served.

You can even save on the washing up by making it into a one-pot dish. The bottom of the dish is lined with uncooked spaghetti, which is then completely covered with water or vegetable stock, while the feta and other ingredients are placed on top. Bake for around 30 minutes until everything is cooked.

Viral pasta recipes regularly do the rounds on social media. Photo: Getty Images

Baked feta pasta scores well with the cooking experts. Cookbook author Domenico Gentile explains what makes the dish so special: “Feta doesn’t melt as well as other types of cheese – which makes it nice and creamy.”

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