Feta cheese (Recipe: pasta salad with feta, basil, olives, fresh and slow-roasted tomatoes)

Something you might not know about Rhode Island:

We make great cheese.

Not good cheese. Great cheese. And not just the provolone and mozzarella and ricotta you'd expect to find in this oh-so-Italian part of the country, although we make those cheeses very well.

We make Mexican queso blanco and queso fresco, and goat cheese, too. And we make the most delicious feta cheese.

It's not Italian, and it's not authentic feta (which can only be made in Greece). So technically our local feta, made by artisan cheese maker Narragansett Creamery and gently brined in sea salt, should be called feta-like. Or, maybe, faux feta.

Whatever you call it, feta, whether it's the real PDO (protected designation of origin) product from Greece or our fabulous local cheese, earns a place in my pantry because of its tangy, tart flavor and crumbly texture.

What is feta cheese?
A firm cheese made from sheep's milk or a blend of up to 70 percent sheep's milk and 30 percent goat's milk. Feta made outside the European Union, or for export, or in Rhode Island, is allowed to contain cow's milk, too

How/where to store:
In the refrigerator, in a ziploc bag, or in a container with an airtight lid. Feta is a fairly dry cheese, so wrap it to retain its natural moisture.

More facts about feta cheese, and ingredient photos, in The Perfect Pantry:
Feta cheese (Recipe: baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta)

 

Pasta salad with feta, basil, olives, fresh and slow-roasted tomatoes

This is a salad you can only make at the height of tomato season, which has finally arrived here in New England. Garden-fresh basil and tomatoes go hand in hand. If you don't have slow-roasted tomatoes (You must. You absolutely must. Here's how to make them.), you can substitute oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus a couple of cloves of roasted garlic and fresh thyme. A bit of pasta with a no-cook sauce -- what could be easier? Infinitely expandable, this recipe serves 6 as a main course.

Ingredients

1 lb twisty pasta (cellentani and rotini are my favorite shapes)
1 cup slow-roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped (or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes plus 1 large clove of roasted garlic, mashed)
2 large fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup black olives (from a can), roughly chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 pinch of mild red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste (I use 1 tsp)
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Drain again.

While the pasta is cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta, toss, and if necessary add a bit more olive oil to bring everything together. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to two days.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Shrimp, lemon, herb and feta macaroni and cheese
Quinoa salad with tomato, feta and parsley
Tangerine and feta salad
Lentil, herb and feta salad
Greek hummus with white beans and feta
Warm salad of kamut, cranberries and feta

Other recipes that use feta cheese:
Zucchini bake with feta and thyme, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled beets with feta, from Sarah's Cucina Bella
Omelet with feta, scallions and mushrooms, from Kalofagas
Chickpea stew with mint and feta, from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Lamb burger with garlic, shallots and feta, from Farmgirl Fare

Comments

I love the use of the slow roasted tomatoes here Lydia.

I've been making a lot of slow roasted tomatoes lately and serving them with ricotta. I really like this idea too! And nice to know Narragansett makes good cheese. I've only known them for their beer.

A yummy salad idea for using the first tiny batch of slow-roasted tomatoes I made over the weekend!

I haven't made slow roasted tomatoes yet. They sound perfect for this salad! Great info on some great cheese!

A lovely summer pasta dish!

Feta cheese is one of my favorites!!!! ;-)))))

I can't believe I have never been to that creamy. I've got to schedule it one of these days. I just love this recipe, Lydia. This is definitely my kind of cooking.

Valli, Soma, Paz: the slow-roasted tomatoes add a little bit of smoky richness to this salad. It's truly delicious.

Julia, this is a different Narragansett! The creamery business just does artisan cheeses, but many different types.

Kalyn, I've just done my first batch of the year, too. I need to make 5 pounds a week for the next few weeks.

Lyndsey, please make these tomatoes. They are the best treat to pull out of the freezer in the middle of winter.

Susan, the creamery sells at farmer's markets all around the state, but also in local markets like Whole Foods and IGA. Their cheeses are out of this world.

This looks like a very tasty recipe. You are also, right about the cheese. I can not wait to get back up there and get some more of it.

I love a good feta cheese. I can have it on anything. It's great as an appetizer on top of a slice of cucumber and a rehydrated almond.

You had me at feta cheese - faux or not. ;) This recipe sounds perfect.

I'm so in love with feta cheese this summer - thx for the yummy looking recipe.