Heirloom Tomato Basil Pasta with Olives and Feta Cheese

This recipe I thought of just epitomizes the laziness of summer.
It’s as simple as folding a handful
of fresh ingredients into cooked pasta.
Use the ripest tomatoes you can find
and you’ll be rewarded with a flavorful sauce.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound orecchiette pasta
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Cut tomatoes into small dice.
Combine tomatoes and any accumulated juices
with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl,
stir gently to coat well, and let sit
at room temperature at least 10 minutes
or up to 3 hours before serving.
When tomatoes are ready, add olives, basil,
and garlic and mix until well combined.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
and cook pasta according to the package directions.
(If the tomatoes have not let off a lot of juice,
reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.)
Toss warm pasta with tomato mixture,
adding pasta cooking water as needed.
Fold in feta and serve.