Bow Ties with Tomatos, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing

Geoff and I made this for dinner last night. I was a little skeptical of putting tomatoes and grapes together, but it was a really simple and delicious dish that came together easily. Cooking Light recommends serving this with pan-grilled asparagus. We intended to do that, but ended up skipping it, since we weren't that hungry. Recipe for asparagus is at the bottom.

Bow Ties with Tomatoes, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing
Source: Cooking Light, July 2009

Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) (we bumped this up to 8 oz, since it was easier to estimate it from a 16 oz box)
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (we used regular balsamic vinegar....the result wasn't as pretty as the picture, but we figured the flavor was the same)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 teaspoons capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (we finely chopped one small- to medium-sized clove)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1(4-ounce) package crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, grapes, and basil in a large bowl.

2. While pasta cooks, combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Add cheese; toss to combine.

(Note: We're keeping the dressing and cheese separate from the salad, since we're not eating this all at once.)


Pan-grilled asparagus: Combine 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 pound trimmed asparagus. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add asparagus to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, turning once.

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