Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position oven rack near top third of oven.
In a large casserole dish or baking dish, add in the whole cherry tomatoes and place the block of feta in the center of the tomatoes. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of baking, cook the pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain and set aside aside.
Carefully remove casserole dish from oven and stir together the feta and tomato mixture. Then, stir in the shrimp, garlic, and chili pepper flakes. Return to oven for another 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
Remove the dish from oven and add in cooked pasta. Toss to evenly coat with the sauce. Top with fresh chopped basil and the zest and juice of a lemon (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
Cherry tomatoes are essential to this recipe. You will need about two pints total.
You can find blocks of feta in the speciality cheese section in most grocery stores. Drain the feta before adding it to the baking dish.
You can use whatever size shrimp you like for this recipe. I always just use the large shrimp from the freezer section. Feel free to remove tails or cut into smaller pieces before using.
If cooking shrimp from frozen, add about 2-3 more minutes to the cooking time.
A tube-shaped pasta with ridges, like rigatoni or penne, is ideal to hold the sauce in this recipe.
I like to finish this dish off with the zest and juice of a lemon. This is optional.