PASTA WITH FRESH HERBS, FETA AND TOMATOES

Pasta With Fresh Herbs, Feta and Tomatoes image

Provided by Carol in Oz

Time 30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

375 g fusilli
1 (8 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled coarsely
3 -4 seeded chopped fresh tomatoes (large)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 fresh minced garlic cloves (to taste)
1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
dried chili (dried flakes or fresh chopped to taste, a teaspoon of sambal oelek will do as well)
1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, again use FRESH
1/2 cup sliced black Spanish olives

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!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 608.5, Fat 22.2, SaturatedFat 11.2, Cholesterol 59, Sodium 1039.5, Carbohydrate 77.8, Fiber 4.9, Sugar 6.8, Protein 24.4