yummy summer linguini recipe

You know how we headed over to a friends house on Sunday evening for a fun BBQ with friends whom we hadn't seen in a while?

Well the hostess asked everyone to bring a side dish.

I think the neatest thing a friend brought were pineapple and cheese cubes on a toothpick.

Try it. The flavors compliment each other quite nice and it's perfect on a hot day!

I decided that I'd make a dish of my mom's that I love -- linguini with fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes and feta.

I know how much I love this dish, but was pleasantly suprised by the comments I got regarding it -- it was a complete success!

Everyone really seemed to love it, so I wanted to share the recipe...

You'll need:1 pound linguine
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes or coarsely chopped regular tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic-chopped
1/2 cup torn (I roll and slice the leaves) fresh basil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped flat Italian parsley
2 T. fresh chopped oregano. You can use dried, too
1 tsp. ground red pepper flakes (more if you like it extra spicy)
1/3 cup olive oil
3.5 pkg. crumbled feta cheese
salt and cracked pepper to taste

Cook linguine.
Chop and prepare herbs.
Toss all ingredients with pasta well.
Place in a large, pretty bowl.
A pasta bowl is great for this.
Garnish with some parsley or basil leaves.
Serve at room temperature.
Can be eaten cold, too.

The great thing about this is pasta salad is that is doesn't need to take up room in your refrigerator and when you get to the party, you just set it on the table.
Leftovers should be refrigerated, though.