Pasta With Fresh Herbs Feta And Tomatoes Recipes

FIRE AND ICE PASTA WITH FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, olives, basil, tomatoes, chives, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Marinate for 3 hours.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• Pour sauce over hot pasta, and toss lightly. Sprinkle with feta cheese, if desired.

BAKED FETA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish, place the feta in the center of the tomatoes and season with a pinch of black pepper. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes. Raise the heat to 450 degrees F and continue to cook until the tomatoes and feta are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then thoroughly drain the pasta.
• As soon as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth and creamy sauce (it's okay if some of the oil isn't fully integrated). Add the pasta and half the basil and toss until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the remaining basil and a pinch of sea salt.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO-HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Immediately add freshly cooked pasta. Toss well. Season generously with pepper and serve immediately.

PASTA WITH FRESH HERBS, FETA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to pkg directions while preparing 'sauce'.
• Chop tomatoes coarsely, removing seeds as they make sauce too runny.
• Roughly chop approximately 1/4-1/2c basil leaves and set aside.
• Chop 1/2c parsley and set aside.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to a non-stick pan(I actually use a large non-stick wok!) Cook tomatoes, garlic and chillis until tendercrisp over medium-high heat. DO NOT overcook tomatoes, the last thing you want is a soggy mess. You should be able to easily identify the tomato chunks in the pasta! This is NOT a traditional soupy sauce! It's a fresh, light tasting summery dish not meant to be 'drowned' in excess sauce.
• Toss in the HOT drained fusilli and stir through crumbled feta and basil over low heat until feta begins to melt. The feta shouldn't be melted all the way, just warmed through and softened! It will continue to melt on the plate, you should be able to see lots of chunky bits of cheese poking through.
• Stir through the chopped parsley and approximately 1/2c olives.
• Top with fresh grated parmesan.
• Enjoy with a chilled glass of chardonnay!