A couple years ago, I went over to a friend’s apartment to hang out. Since we were about twenty two at the time, it seemed reasonable to assume that, since I got there around five, we would all — at some point — go in search of some sustenance. So, imagine my surprise when everyone had already eaten! I think may have indicted everyone with a round of zippy insults that relied heavily on references to nursing homes and early bird specials, and when I had resigned myself to silencing my rumbling tummy with the battered protein bar that swims around in the bottom of my purse for the occasional unforeseeable emergency such as these, good ole Dave gave me a pitying look and sprang into action. He whipped up this pasta for me: a simple sautee of veggies you probably already have languishing in your crisper drawer, multi-grain rotini pasta and that wonderful gilder-of-lilies, feta cheese. Ever since, this has been one of my favorite go-to quick meals for a healthy serving of veggies combined with that wonderful chew that only pasta can deliver. When the feta melts into a kind of sauce, all I can say, my friends, is “Opa!”
Greek Pasta with Mushrooms, Peppers and Feta
Ingredients
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup yellow onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
1 lb multi-grain rotini or penne pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta: bring water to boil in a large pot and salt it liberally — a good rule of thumb when cooking pasta is to salt the water until it tastes like the ocean. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the bell pepper, mushrooms and onion. Sautee over medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to caramelize, approximately ten minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just al dente, according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the garlic to the sauteed vegetables, along with the Italian seasoning, the parsley, and the crumbled feta. Toss all the ingredients to mix. As the feta melts, it will form a light, gooey sauce. If you desire a thinner sauce, add some of the pasta cooking liquid, a little at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste, bearing in mind that feta is one of the more salty cheeses. Toss with the drained pasta, garnish each serving with additional minced parsley, and serve immediately.
