Summer Fresh Tomato Pasta

I have no idea where I found this recipe.  It was saved on my computer in my ever-handy "recipes" folder!  But I had a drawer full of various heirloom tomatoes that needed to be used.  Oh, and I was itching to jump into the pot of fresh basil growing on my patio, too.  Of course, none of that is as important as the fact that it was already 7:30, my husband was starving, and I hadn't even started supper yet.  I whipped together a fairly light menu and decided that if I didn't have some carbs, my husband would be foraging through the refrigerator mere minutes after dinner.  Enter pasta salad!  Feel free to change up the ingredients according to what you have on hand.  Add some chicken or shrimp (or other protein) to turn this into a one-dish meal.  Change the herbs and seasonings to give a totally different feel to this salad (I'm thinking of a Greek Salad-inspired spin next time).  Use colored pastas with fun shapes.  Serve it warm or cold.  The possibilities are endless.  Just make the darn pasta already!

1 12-ounce package penne 

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives 

1 6-8oz container herbed feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil (do not salt the water or add oil).  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water.  Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients.  Toss with cooled and drained pasta.  Adjust ingredients to taste.

Serves 4