So, I’m about 10 years behind the times.  I’ve only just begun to watch the HBO series The Wire.  The important thing is, I’m catching up.  And with my summer television only decent on Sunday nights, I’m unapologetic about needing a little couch time in the evenings.  The outdoor weather is lovely, but I’ve always been a fan of using the glow of the boob tube to help me get a little sleepy.

Now in the thick of season two of the Baltimore-based series, I got a little inspired by the character The Greek when it came to dinner time.  If I was a better cook, I would have gone full tilt with a Chesapeake Bay inspired crab feast.  You can tell by the picture my bar was set a little lower.  Anyway, the easiest idea that came to mind for a Greek summer supper was a Greek salad.  And while I eat Greek salad, it’s not exactly something I crave.  But you see, I like most of the ingredients and putting them all together is very easy.  What if I just added pasta?  Then it would be Greek, crave-worthy with the fill of carbs and salt and ridiculously simple.

Was it delicious?  As my favourite character Omar would say:  Oh, indeed.

Dining companion:  The Wire

Greek Pasta
Serves 1.

0.25 lbs pasta
0.5 cup sliced bell pepper
0.75 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
0.25 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
0.5 tablespoon olive oil
0.25 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Few tablespoons fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

While pasta is cooking in boiling, salted water, heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Add peppers and saute for a minute or two.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add tomato halves and cook down a few minutes (don’t break them down).  Add olives and cook another minute.  Add cooked pasta and a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Toss and then turn off the heat.  Toss in cheese (I like my cheese to melt a bit), then finally parsley, pepper and salt.  You might not need any salt because of the feta and olives.