Greek Pasta Salad

My mom has made this salad on several occasions and I LOVE it! She actually found it in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Now is the season for yummy salads!!

Prep time: 40 minutes Chill: at least 2 hours
Ingredients:
12 oz. dried mostaccioli or penne (about 4 cups uncooked)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tblsps snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil, crushed
2 tblsps snipped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tblsp anchovy paste (optional)
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 oz.)
Fresh oregano leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain again.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and olives
In a screw-top jar combine the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, the 2 tblsps oregano, anchovy paste (if using), garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss to coat.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, add feta cheese; toss. Sprinkle fresh oregano leaves.

Makes 12-16 side-dish servings