Description
A flavorful baked feta dish featuring a smoky Mexican morita chile recaudo salsa, roasted vine tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. This recipe combines roasted vegetables blended into a vibrant salsa, which is poured over a block of feta cheese and baked until soft and bubbling. Finished with toasted sesame seeds and served with crusty bread or tostadas, it’s a perfect appetizer or light meal with rich, tangy, and smoky flavors.
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetable Salsa
- 1½ lbs vine (plum or San Marzano) tomatoes, halved
- 9 oz cherry tomatoes, whole
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Morita Recaudo Salsa
- 1 dried morita or chipotle chile
- 2 cups recaudo (prepared roasted vegetable salsa)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Baked Feta and Garnish
- 7 oz feta cheese, block
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes on the vine
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Crusty bread, tostadas, or totopos, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large baking dish, arrange the halved vine tomatoes, whole cherry tomatoes, quartered onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and add the tomato paste. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss everything to coat well.
- Roast Vegetables: Roast the vegetables for 25–30 minutes until tomatoes are soft and slightly charred, onions are tender, and garlic is fragrant.
- Make Roasted Vegetable Salsa: Once roasted, carefully squeeze garlic cloves from their skins. Transfer all the roasted vegetables along with any pan juices to a blender. Blend until smooth and velvety. Set aside 2 cups of this salsa for the recipe; any leftover can be stored for later use.
- Prepare Morita Recaudo Salsa: Soak the dried morita or chipotle chile in just-boiled water for about 10 minutes until softened. Remove the seeds, then blend the chile with the 2 cups of roasted vegetable salsa (recaudo). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to balance the flavors.
- Arrange Feta and Tomatoes: Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Pour the chile-infused recaudo salsa into a clean baking dish. Nestle the block of feta cheese in the center and arrange the cherry tomatoes on the vine around it. Drizzle everything lightly with olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Bake Feta and Tomatoes: Bake for 25 minutes until the feta is soft, edges begin to brown, and the sauce is bubbling gently. The surrounding tomatoes should be blistered and sweet.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven and scatter toasted sesame seeds on top for a subtle nutty crunch. Serve immediately with crusty bread, tostadas, or totopos to scoop up the flavorful baked feta and salsa.
Notes
- The roasted vegetable salsa (recaudo) can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- If morita chiles are not available, chipotle chiles are a great substitute and will provide a similar smoky flavor.
- Use a high-quality feta block for the best texture and melting quality.
- Adjust seasoning after blending the salsa to suit your spice and salt preference.
- Serve immediately as feta will firm up or dry if left to sit once baked.
- Pair with crusty bread or Mexican tostadas for an authentic experience and great texture contrast.
