Name: Farfalle with Tomatoes, Olives and Feta
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: table salt; 1 pound farfalle; 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves; 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped coarse; Ground black pepper; 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)

Why This Recipe Works

Summer tomatoes containing excess liquid can result in a watery, bland pasta sauce. To avoid this problem in our raw tomato sauce recipe, we seeded the tomatoes. For robust flavor, we used extra-virgin olive oil, which also worked to coat the pasta and bind it to the sauce. We then added ingredients like garlic, black olives, and Parmesan to our raw tomato sauce recipe to bring the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes into an ideal balance.

Before You Begin

Add the feta after the tomatoes have been tossed with the pasta to prevent the cheese from melting.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot; add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain and return pasta to stockpot.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, oil, mint, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Add tomato mixture to pasta in stockpot and toss. Add feta and toss again. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve immediately.