This is just one example of how a good pesto can be used so well in so many ways. People always rave about this combo and I can’t blame ’em — it’s one of those matches made in heaven. The pesto coats the warm pasta to make a creamy, rich sauce, which is accented by the crumbled feta and contrasted by the sweet and tart cherry tomatoes.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow tie pasta (farfalle)
- 3/4 cup Pesto, recipe follows
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming. Bounce the pasta around to get rid of as much water as you can.
- Dump the pasta into a large serving bowl. Stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and the crumbled feta. Taste the salad and season it as you like with salt and pepper. You can make the salad up to about 1 hour before you serve it. Check out the salt and pepper just before you serve the salad. If it’s looking a little dry, add some olive oil and stir it around.
- Pesto:
- 5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts or 3/4 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Kosher salt
- About 20 grinds freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place all ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and blend. Gradually drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.
- Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 368 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 22 mg |
| Sodium | 307 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 368 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 22 mg |
| Sodium | 307 mg |
Reviews
The recipe for the pesto is so very, very delicious. I copied a previous reviewer and added other vegetables and it came out delicious! Perfect summer dinner.
This recipe has been a family favorite for a looooong time. It has the best pesto recipe too, so I use that for other dishes.
Made this last night with my home made pesto and it was delicious! I did add a few things..chopped zucchini, red bell pepper, Kalamata olives and a dash of Greek seasoning only because we had this as a main course. Add some nice crunchy bread and you have an awesome dinner on a hot summer night.
I use this recipe time and time again, it’s just that good.
Mix equal parts pesto, sour cream and mayonnaise for a creamy pesto dressing.
This recipe is fantastic. Goes very well with beef kabobs.
I organized a Halloween potluck at work yesterday and decided to bring this pasta. In order to make this dish “spooky” I used thin spaghetti instead of bowtie and called it “Witch Hair with Monster Goo.” I am not a big fan of cherry tomatoes so I used sundried instead. I also found a garlic & herb feta which complimented the pesto really well. So, all said, I guess this is really a rating for the pesto alone. I made the pesto exactly as written here and let me tell you– it was so yummy! This was my first attempt at making my own pesto, and I was very, very pleased with the turn out. My coworkers all raved that the pasta was “SOOO GOOD” and most went back for seconds. Thanks Dave for a great pesto recipe!
Great! Delicious…simple recipe with all the flavors accenting one another. Even more simple if you already have pesto on hand. Easy recipe to remember and throw together during the summer. Highly recommended. I had pesto I had made earlier the week so I can’t comment on his pesto, but the tomatoes and feta together is brilliant.
This recipe is excellent! Enjoyed it immensely. Shared with friends as a side dish at a Texas style barbeque and they couldn’t get enough. Thanks!
I first saw this and it looked really good and I had heard from a blogger that it was really good as well so I decided to try it. I started mixing everything together for the pesto, I had my doubts ( but only because the one other time I tried to make pea pesto from Giada, it tasted awful). BUT, this pesto is delicious. I am allergic to cow’s milk so I used Sheep’s Milk Pecorino Romano in the pesto. Then I halved the tomatoes and slow roasted them with olive oil in the oven and that made them taste amazing in the salad. All these flavors together were wonderful and I was shocked at how I couldn’t put the bowl away and quit eating. It’s just me and my mom and she’s not home a lot so I’m probably going to tuck most of it away myself (somebody help!). On top, I used Goat feta/ goat crumbles as well. The only thing I would tell you to do is… make it for a large group or party ONLY. If you’re by yourself, be ready to down it all.