Jeffrey and Juli's Basil, Feta and Tomato Pasta Salad

This is a great salad for summer time, especially when home-grown tomatoes are ripe.  It would be a great dish to bring to a potluck- the recipe makes a lot and the ingredients are fairly inexpensive.  If you grow your own tomatoes and basil, as we do, really the only expense is for the feta cheese and a pound of pasta.

Now, our tomatoes are nowhere close to the eating stage.  They're still pretty little yellow flowers at the moment!  But we couldn't wait for our homegrown tomatoes to make this tasty side dish.

Jeffrey took my original recipe and greatly improved it by adding some heat from crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and black pepper.  We'll be serving this pasta salad a lot! 

Jeffrey and Juli's Basil, Feta and Tomato Pasta Salad

yield - 6-8 servings

4                 quarts water
1                 teaspoon table salt
1                 pound medium shell pasta (or campanelle,
                     farfalle or other shapes, to preference)
1                 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
8                 ounces feta cheese, diced
1/2              cup chopped fresh basil
1/4              cup extra-virgin olive oil
2                 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2              teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2              teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper


Add water and salt to a large pot.  Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook per directions until al dente.  Drain pasta and add to a large bowl.

Add tomatoes, feta cheese, basil, olive oil, garlic and black pepper to the bowl with the pasta.  Toss to thoroughly mix.  Serve as is, or refrigerate and serve cold.