Browned Butter Spaghetti with Mizithra
I used to love to go to the Spaghetti Factory for Browned Butter Spaghetti with Mizithra. This is a very simple recipe with only three ingredients, but don’t let that fool you. It’s absolutely delicious!
Mizithra (or Myzithra) is a traditional Greek cheese made from the whey of sheep or goat milk, often combined with a small amount of whole milk or cream. It has two main forms:
Fresh Mizithra
- Soft, creamy, and moist
- Similar to ricotta or cottage cheese
- Mild, slightly tangy flavor
Aged Mizithra (Xynomizithra)
- Hard and crumbly
- Salty and sharp in flavor
- Grated over pasta, similar to Parmesan
It’s especially popular in Greek cuisine, often served over pasta with browned butter, as in this recipe) or used in savory pies and salads.
Browned Butter Spaghetti with Mizithra
I used to love to go to the Spaghetti Factory for this. It’s so delicious! Mizithra is a great Greek cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Grecian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup butter
- Cooked spaghetti, drained
- 1 cup Mizithra cheese, grated
- Parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces and place in a 2 quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).
- When the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.
- When the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.
- Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.
- Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.
- The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.
- Boil the pasta of choice until al dente.
- Drain pasta and divide into four servings.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup Mizithra cheese over each pasta serving.
- Top with 1/4 cup hot brown butter.
Notes
Photo credit: hollysuewho / CC BY
