Footloose and Fancy Free- Pasta with Tomatoes & Feta

Why haven't I been eating tomatoes & basil all summer long? I realize that my previous post is also a tomato and basil recipe, so it might appear that my meals haven't been all that deficient. But they have been woefully lacking in this combo, one of the best pairings of summer flavors if you ask me. I'd been thinking about making this for a while, but kept putting it off because the original recipe included shredded chicken and I didn't want to buy any. Then I knocked myself upside the head and said, "Hey dummy, the chicken isn't best part of the meal- it's the awesome combo of tomatoes and basil with the salty feta!" So I chucked the chicken out the window and made some dinner. And honestly, it's made all the easier and slightly healthier for not having to mess with the shredded chicken. I diced my tomatoes and basil, and juiced my lemon, while the water boiled and pasta cooked. Then I was ready to go! Dinner in 15 minutes- that's truly delicious.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil
Variation on an Everyday Food recipe; Serves 2

Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 oz. ditalini, or other short tubular pasta
1 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
2 large plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" chunks
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain; rinse well under cold water.
• Transfer to a large bowl; toss with oil, lemon juice, feta, tomatoes, and basil; season generously with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

My notes: This is a halved recipe so there were two portions for our dinner. I love when recipes can be easily adjusted to fit our two-person household. I'm definitely going to be making this recipe more often, especially since I've started growing my own basil.