Spaghetti with Mizithra

“Makaronada” - A bowl of pasta with crumbled cheese and extra virgin olive oil was my grandfather’s favourite meal. Every time my mother would make it, she would tell me stories of my “pappou” and how much he loved it. Well now I’m sharing this super simple yet super delicious recipe with you. Only a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes later you have the best bowl of pasta you will ever eat.

But firstly, let me explain what this Greek cheese is. Mizithra cheese is a Greek cheese made from goat’s and sheep’s milk. When it is first made, fresh mizithra resembles ricotta cheese, but then when it is salt-dried into a harder cheese it resembles salty parmesan cheese. This Mizithra is considered the Greek cuisine’s parmesan cheese and is used to sprinkle over pasta and risotto dishes. It tastes like a hard and salty version of feta and is absolutely delicious!

If you start searching for recipes similar to this you will find recipes that add burnt butter instead of extra virgin olive oil. Even though it tastes wonderful, it is heavy and does not taste like the Mediterranean dish I grew up with so, I highly suggest you try it with a good quality first cold pressed olive oil. It’s light, fresh and so very healthy for you. If you are making this for dinner, as a side dish, slice some ripe Roma tomatoes, sprinkle a touch of sea salt and Greek oregano, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Watch How to Make It

And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Happy Creating,

Margaret

Spaghetti with Mizithra

1 packet (400-500g) spaghetti pasta (gluten-free)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

250g Mizithra cheese, crumbled

2 cloves of garlic minced or 2 tsp garlic infused olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Sea salt (added only when boiling the pasta)

Zest of 1 large lemon

Basil leaves to garnish

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until soft and silky and slightly overcooked (do not cook it al dente, this is not how it is cooked in Greece). Drain and set aside.

2. While pasta is cooking crumble the Mizithra and set it aside.

3. Toss the pasta with the extra virgin olive oil (add extra if needed), add the garlic and season with plenty of freshly ground pepper and combine throughout the mizithra.

4. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon zest. Serve immediately.