Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Sauce

evelyn/athens's Note:

A wonderful, fast sauce. This pasta dish is definitely good enough for company. Cooking time includes the time it takes to boil the pasta.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 (8 ½ ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil , with herbs, drained, 1 tblsp oil reserved
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup kalamata olive , pitted and chopped
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh basil , chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese , crumbled
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated
• 1 lb of your favourite dry pasta (Rigatoni or Penne are both good)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add sun-dried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, olives and sugar and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
6. Mix in basil and both cheeses and stir until cheeses melt.
7. Season to taste.
8. Remove sauce from heat.
9. Drain pasta.
10. Add to skillet; toss to coat with sauce.
11. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Irmgard]

I thought this sauce was delicious and it easily makes enough for 1-1/2 pounds of pasta, which is what I will do next time. Canned tomatoes don't always agree with my husband and by increasing the amount of pasta, it will spread the sauce further and maybe not bother his stomach so much. I used 2 heaping tablespoons of dried basil, since that is what I had on hand but will definitely try it with fresh basil when I can grow my own in the summer.

[Lulu Lotus]

This was absolutely phenomenal! I was searching for a recipe to use up my feta cheese. The dish tasted restaurant quality. I even had my husband cook the dish and it turned out fantastic. We also used less sun-dried tomato -- I think this ingredient is best used "to taste". This recipe is definitely a keeper in my books.

[tigerduck]

I agree with Ev's intro, this pasta dish is definitely good enough for company. BF was so inspired by the sauce that he made something similar the next day at his place. He is Italian and a good chef and he certainly knows what a good pasta dish is! However, the reason why I rate this with only four stars is that we both felt that the amount of sundried tomatoes is too much. We both love sundried tomatoes, but we found the taste of the sauce too strong. I would considerably reduce the amount of it (probably to half to start with) and that was also what BF did the next day. Also, we would change something presentation-wise. We would include the parmesan in the sauce but not the feta. Instead, we would crumble it over the individual plates which would make a really nice presentation. This is a great recipes that I will certainly repeat but with the adjustments mentioned to suit our taste.