Pasta with Tomatoes and Feta

Saturdays are great days, and it's a shame there are so few of them. Jason and I spent ours hiking through the hills and citrus trees of Ojai with our friend Philippe, who entertained us, as always, with great conversation. As we sat in his backyard eating dessert, he noticed we were constantly staring at his orange tree (we couldn't help it) so he brought out a ladder and we ended up driving home with a bag full of fruit. If you're at all familiar with this blog, you'll understand why this makes Philippe my hero.

So after a full day of fun, I'm exhausted; the fun kind of tired that I used to feel every evening as a kid that marked the end to a successful day of playing outdoors.  So really, I should just eat a bowl of cereal and then fall asleep on the couch. 

But then there's this; a recipe who's name does it no justice because it leaves out the other two key ingredients, which doesn't seem fair, but typing "Pasta with Tomatoes, Feta, Kalamata Olives, and Basil" seems a bit cumbersome. I'm too tired to think too much about what to call it, but I'm not too tired to spend the few moments it takes to boil some water and chop a few tomatoes and olives, because this dish meets and exceeds my high standards for speedy, great tasting meals. Jason ranks this as one of his three favorite dinners, after this and this. 

It's a winner, people, trust me.

Pasta with Tomatoes & Feta Cheese

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

1 lb penne pasta (or gemelli or fusilli, or whatever works for you)

2-3/4 lb cherry tomatoes (I halve the tomatoes, but this is only out of preference)

5 to 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled (goat cheese can also be  used)

2/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped

3/4 cup basil leaves, torn

Cook pasta according to instructions and drain. Toss hot pasta with cheese in large bowl. Add everything else and salt and pepper to taste.