Spaghetti with Feta and Capers

Back in December, I had the opportunity to watch a cooking demonstration by the chef from a local Italian restaurant. He made all sorts of wonderful dishes, but the one that impressed me the most was a briny, saucy pasta dish. Looking back I can’t remember if his version actually had feta in it or not, but the idea of a soft, salty cheese with pasta has been in the back of my head ever since. If you follow me on twitter, you’ll know that last week I just did not feel like cooking. At all. I didn’t really feel like eating either. It was simple, delicious recipes like this one that got me through to week – this takes very little effort to make, but the result is impressive. The feta really adds something special to the pasta and makes it seem a little more special. (And don’t worry, I made an awesome grocery list for this week and am back to my normal self!)

While you could use your favorite jarred sauce for this to make it even easier, I find that it’s just as easy to make my own. Pasta sauce really is a snap to make and it taste so much better than store-bought! San Marzano tomatoes were on sale, so I used those and I recommend that you do too. I find them to be slightly sweeter and less acidic than other canned tomatoes, resulting in a sauce that tastes like you made it from ripe, summer tomatoes. If you can’t find San Marzano’s (they can be difficult to find and are pretty pricey if they aren’t on sale), feel free to use your favorite brand of peeled plum tomatoes.

I served my sauce on top of spinach linguini. No real reason for that. I don’t think it tastes any different than plain pasta and the nutritional differences are negligible. Honestly, I just like the way that it looks. Green pasta is so much more fun to eat than beige pasta!

Spaghetti with Feta and Capers

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
• 1 hand full fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 Tbs capers
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked according to package

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then immediately add the tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and using your spoon to press on the tomatoes to help break them down. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the capers and season to taste with pepper.

To serve, spoon the sauce on top of the prepared spaghetti. Top with feta.

Serves 4.

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