(by Tim Johnston & Susan Andreatta)
4-5 cups Sungold cherry tomatoes (or any other sweet variety)
½ cup plus 2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbls red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in thin strips
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
12 oz uncooked linguine
Cut tomatoes in half and marinate in a bowl with ½ cup olive oil, vinegar, and basil. Toss occasionally while preparing other ingredients. Sauté onions and garlic in remaining 2 Tbls olive oil. Cook peas for 1-2 minutes in 2 cups boiling water and drain. Cook linguine in boiling water (salted or not, as preferred) to desired softness (al dente takes about 7 minutes). Drain linguine and return to cooking pot. Add tomatoes and marinade, peas, onion, garlic, and feta cheese and toss together. Turn into a bowl and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a chilled white wine. The dish will be warm rather than hot, the tomatoes heated through but not cooked. Makes 4 servings.
This quick and easy pasta dish is a great way to use up cherry tomatoes at the end of a dry growing season, when some of them are likely to be split and may not be attractive enough to serve in a salad, but it is delicious at any time. All quantities can be varied to suit your individual taste (don’t add too much vinegar or it will overpower the taste of the vegetables).