At only 4 ingredients and only 15 minutes to make, Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter is the deliciously simple meal that will become your family's next staple.
When I was growing up, the Old Spaghetti Factory was a fairly regular destination for my family. When I was younger and lived in Kamloops BC, we only got to go there on the rare occasion that we made a trip to Vancouver.
Then, when I got older and moved to Calgary, it became a bit more of a regular occurrence, since there was actually a location in our new home city. Still, it was "all the way" downtown, and it could get quite busy, so we usually only went for special occasions.
However, everyone enjoyed it. Their meals were a good deal, as they came with a drink, fresh bread, salad, and ice cream for dessert. An even better deal if they let you get the kids-sized portion, which was still a pretty good-sized portion.
Now we live in a city with 2 Old Spaghetti Factory locations, and it's one of my kids' favorite restaurants. We go a few times a year, and the dish my daughter orders every single time is the Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter.
I also usually order the spaghetti with mizithra cheese at OSF, but I usually do it half and half with spaghetti and spicy meat sauce.
But we also have a popular market in our city that sells mizithra cheese by the chunk, so I make sure to keep it on hand for quick and easy meals to make for my family for lunch or dinner. After all, you can't make a meal more quickly, or with a shorter ingredient list than this, and my entire family loves it.
What is Mizithra Cheese?
Mizithra is a Greek cheese made from sheep's milk. It's quite hard, and very salty, which makes it perfect for topping pasta, but not so good for eating. You can find mizithra cheese in specialty cheese stores, or markets/delis with very well-stocked cheese departments.
How to make Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter:
This dish is incredibly quick and easy to make. Everything can be prepped and cooked in the time it takes to boil pasta.
Start by getting the pasta water boiling. For the best results, salt the water generously. While you're waiting for this, start browning the butter in a small skillet or saucepan. I like to use a stainless steel skillet for browning butter, because it's easier to see the color of it and to determine when it's done. Remove the butter from the heat when it's very fragrant and golden brown.
Once the butter is done, start shredding the cheese. You can use either a microplane or a box grater. I like the mizithra to be shredded on the finer size, but it's personal preference here.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain it completely. Sprinkle your desired portion of mizithra on the top (it's okay to be generous here), then drizzle a little browned butter on top of that. If desired, garnish with a little minced parsley.
Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Salt - this will be used to season the pasta water.
- Dry pasta - Or if you want this meal to be extra special, use store-bought or homemade fresh pasta. Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Mizithra cheese - Find mizithra cheese and cheese shops, or very well-stocked grocery stores or delis. I get it at the Italian Center in Edmonton.
- Minced parsley - this is optional and used as a garnish.
Want more pasta recipes?
Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter Nutrition Notes:
You can easily make this dish gluten-free by simply cooking gluten-free pasta.
Serve this pasta dish with a leafy green salad to make a complete meal.
Pasta with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter
Equipment
- Box Grater or microplane
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt (for pasta water)
- 1 pound dry pasta (use gluten free pasta to make this recipe gluten free)
- 2 ounces Mizithra cheese shredded fine (about 1 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons minced parsley
Instructions
- Cook 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from heat to prevent burning.
- Cook 1 pound dry pasta according to the directions on package in salted water. Drain.
- Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top each with an equal portion of shredded Mizithra cheese (about ¼ cup on each serving). Drizzle each with browned butter. Sprinkle minced parsley over the top of each dish.
Nutrition
Brenda says
Hi Carissa. Where in Calgary did you find Mizithra Cheese? I’ve called around and doesn’t seem like any of the cheese shops carry it.
Carissa says
Try the Italian Center Shop. That's where I always buy mine in Edmonton. I'm not sure if they also have it in Calgary, but if they don't, I bet they'd be able to get it for you.