August 22, 2008

A Gutsy Cherry Tomato, Garlic, Arugula and Feta Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe

We're practically drowning in tomatoes.

There are currently two big bowls that need eating/canning/whatever. Two big bowls. Which isn't bad actually, the other day there were four.

One big bowl with ripe red, giant black and zebra striped green tomatoes and a smaller bowl with normal sized cherry, little yellow teardrop and tiny cherry tomatoes.



Trying to incorporate them into almost every meal without inciting boredom has been the challenge.
I never want to hear the words, "not tomatoes, again?" This winter we'll be longing for the taste of sweet, vine ripened tomatoes, so we must gather ye rosebuds...

Good ol' reliable epicurious.com aimed to please when it popped up with this fabulous recipe;
Pasta mixed with juicy, bursting cherry tomatoes cooked with garlic and spring onions, mixed with peppery arugula and scattered with a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese. We didn't have campanelle or fusilli, but I'm not that fussy when it comes to matching pasta and sauce. (actually I do think that there are a few pasta sauces that must be matched with the appropriate pasta shape, but this wasn't one of them). I used penne and it was just fine.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen campanelle here anyway.



This was one great dish! It deserves to be made a couple more times before tomato season finally ends.


Campanelle with Tomatoes and Feta
from Bon Appétit magazine

8 ounces campanelle (trumpet-shaped pasta) or fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pint whole cherry tomatoes
1 pint whole grape tomatoes
5 cups (loosely packed) arugula
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add green onions, garlic, and all tomatoes; sauté until tomatoes begin to soften and collapse, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta. Return to pot. Add tomato mixture, arugula, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil; toss until arugula begins to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to plates. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm going to try this over the weekend. (Monday is a national holiday in the UK. Hoping for sunshine,it's been raining non-stop all August).
Had to look up Arugula, didn't know it was the Italian name for Rocket(as we call it).

Anonymous said...

Hi Loulou

I cooked something eerily similar this evening -- love the warm pasta salad idea! But it only used one tomato, so it wouldn't really help with the glut :-)

Anonymous said...

This looks so lovely but can you believe that my dear husband doesn't like feta? If I ever use it (I think the only time I do use it is in a cold Greek pasta salad) I have to use big enough chunks he can pick out!

Jennifer said...

john
I hope you like it as much as we did. I'll probably make it again over the weekend too.
We Americans call rocket, arugula. In France it is "roquette"

Veronica
That recipe looks wonderful! I don't have any pinenuts but wonder if I could use toasted, chopped hazelnuts. We have lots of zucchini to use up too.

vivi
I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like feta!
You could serve his portion without it and enjoy all the feta for yourself. :)

Anonymous said...

I am a big fan of roasting the little guys in some olive oil, garlic and salt on low heat (275-ish F, not sure what that might translate to in C) for 2-4 hours. Keep testing them until they taste right to you.

You can store in the fridge and eat for about a week afterward or freeze.

Great for a simple crostini or pizza topping or pasta sauce.

Jennifer said...

sarah
Thanks for that idea! I think I'll try it and then freeze them to enjoy this winter.