Gordon Ramsay Can't Get TikTok's Baked Feta Pasta Off His Mind
In 2019, Finnish food blogger Jenni Häyrinen first took her home country by storm with her baked feta pasta recipe. Originally called "uunifetapasta," the dish became so popular, Häyrinen claims stores began selling out of feta cheese in a country of approximately 5.5 million people (per Liemessä). But the hype didn't stop there. When McKenzie Smith shared the Finnish blogger's recipe in English on Instagram, it didn't take long for the famous baked feta pasta to go viral on TikTok. The recipe is simple and affordable, consisting of an entire block of feta cheese, some dry pasta, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, cherry tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and a shallot.
Some might say the TikTok feta pasta isn't as good as it seems, but for many others, this indulgent, creamy sensation opened a door to discovering the pleasures of home cooking. "I first saw this recipe on TikTok and was fascinated, and it's definitely better than what I expected," Susan Olayinka, chef and recipe developer at The Flexible Fridge, said. Perhaps the pasta's power lies in its unpretentiousness, a TikTok spokesperson told Vogue, claiming that "it's a trend that is easy to enjoy and take part in" — even famous chefs, like Gordon Ramsay.
This TikTok food trend wins Gordon Ramsay's approval
Gordon Ramsay, one of the harshest critics in the culinary world, is no stranger to giving his opinion on viral TikTok food trends. The celebrity chef has amassed nearly 35 million followers since joining the platform right before the pandemic hit. Sometimes, the food trends elicit a response of disgust and rage from Ramsay, such as this video of a vegan beef Wellington, which he called a "turd Wellington." In another video, Ramsay reacted with horror to a Vienna sausage dessert, describing the disastrous dish as a "dog turd sprinkled with more s***."
But the celebrity chef has confessed that the baked feta pasta dish is "magnetizing," and said that the recipe's affordability and ability to feed "six or 10 guests and for so cheap" is where "it hit the mark" (per People). He said the baked feta pasta "got a lot of people through this pandemic," and praised social media for making creative cooking ideas accessible for all and inspiring his own creations, as his followers can leave their own critiques and feedback of his restaurants on social media (via People). We'll be keeping an eye out for whatever viral food trend Ramsay decides to review next — let's hope whatever it is, it doesn't make him gag.