The TikTok pasta but make it vegan

Gen Z is close to being known as the ‘TikTok generation’, and while some will wear that badge with pride, others shudder at the title. Nonetheless, one way or another, among the viral dances and lip syncing fails, TikTok has birthed important movements, such as awareness for body positivity. Somewhere in between lies Food TikTok – a platform that provides both mouth-watering entertainment and unique recipes.

The printed, written word is constantly being shown up by the advantageous TikTok: sixty seconds of flashy visuals often paired with the trendiest sounds, beats any old cookbook.

This is how, only a couple of days after having finally succumbed to society’s peer-pressure and downloaded TikTok, I came across the almighty ‘TikTok Pasta’. 

@cookingwithayeh

Baked Feta Pasta is def worth all the hype!! Inspired by the lovely @feelgoodfoodie 💗 #fyp #foodtiktok #bakedfeta #pasta #foryou #foryoupage

♬ Taste It – Ikson

The minute-long recipe claims to be ‘so popular that they ran out of Feta cheese in Finland’ – once again showing the tremendous social influence of the video app. Indeed, Food52 has identified the author of the recipe to be Jenni Häyrinen, a Finnish blogger, who created the recipe back in 2019. 

While possibly not being the most nutritious meal out there, this simple pasta dish does make your tongue tingle in anticipation, and so it was only a matter of time until I tried it myself.

The obstacle? Feta cheese. This Greek star used to be a favourite of mine, until I became vegan six years ago. Since then I had made my peace without it, rarely following recipes that included feta in order to avoid disappointment. However, this one seemed too good to waste and with the help of Violife and an addition of sundried tomatoes, I made it happen.

Here’s the TikTok pasta, veganised:

Serves 4

Ready in 30 minutes 

• 500g pasta (any works well but I suggest Shells, Penne or another shape that will hold sauce well)
• 1 Violife Greek white block
• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves (to garnish)

1. First thing is to get the tomatoes roasting. Preheat the oven at around 200 degrees Celsius. In a Pyrex dish, add the whole cherry tomatoes and a clove of garlic (skin on). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Place in the oven for around 15 minutes.
2. Once the tomatoes have been in for 5 minutes, start cooking the pasta in salted boiling water. Cook according to instructions (usually 11-13 minutes).
3. Once the tomatoes have had 15 minutes remove them from the oven. Squish the garlic clove with a fork until the skin peels off and then mash some more until the garlic is mixed in with the tomatoes. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and then clear some space in the middle for the feta. Place the whole feta block in the middle and place the dish back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. Keep checking on the feta, if it begins to melt it is ready. 
4. Drain the pasta and set aside. Once the cheese has started to melt, remove the dish from the oven and mash the feta with a fork until it begins to crumble/melt (depending on how long you leave it it will be more or less solid). Add the pasta and mix everything together.
5. Taste and season accordingly.
6. Add some chopped basil leaves on top to garnish.
7. Enjoy!

Although its popularity seems to be growing, with different variations coming up on my page every day, this pasta isn’t the only TikTok food trend out there.

The four way wrapped tortilla was another easy and simple meal that went viral, with both sweet and savoury alternatives. 

@simplefood4you

All plant based🌱 @me.52203 #vegetarian#vegan#tortillatrend#wrap#recipe#cooking#foodie#foodtiktok#food#fördigfördigsverige#fyp

♬ It’s Tricky – RUN DMC

And for dessert? People are hunting for ‘Little Moons’ up and down the country, after this U.K. owned Japanese Mochi business went viral. Fret not, if you’re curious about trying Mochi, there are plenty of homemade recipes on TikTok too (yes, some of them are vegan!)

@audreysaurus

hi vegan friends! here’s a DAIRY-FREE STRAWBERRY MOCHI for you 🍓🥥 recipe will be posted in the comments so please look there

♬ Wandering Around the City – Rook1e

If you’re interested in cooking or changing your eating habits, TikTok isn’t a bad place to start. If a recipe can be condensed into sixty seconds then the likelihood is that it is something easy and memorable enough to make. Although I love cooking myself, I often find it hard to come up with new meals, especially under lockdown when it feels like all you do is work and eat.

Without a doubt, this side of TikTok is commendable. Not only does it teach people new skills but it stimulates creativity, as once a trend starts people are bound to want to alter or better it.