Spaghetti With Brown Butter and Feta (Μακαρόνια με βούτυρο και φέτα)

Last weekend was a busy one. I had a full social calendar, things to do around the house, work on a revamped "Kalofagas" website and attend a Superbowl party on a Sunday evening that's usually spent quietly at home.

Oh yeah...I was also in the thick of baking, enjoying and sharing artisan bread in five minutes! As a reminder, you have until this upcoming Friday (by noon) to leave a comment and be elligible for a draw to win this fabulous bread making cookbook.

As if bread weren't enough carbs, I had a craving for pasta but something stripped down, focusing on good ingredients and what the Hell, I was feeling nostalgic.

One of my favourite dishes my mom would serve is a plain spaghetti (Makaronia) that was tossed in butter until slightly browned, then the pasta was drained and tossed in the brown butter with crumbled Feta cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to cap the dish.

Brown butter is a sauce unto itself and in my opinion, under-rated. The next time you're feeling for pasta yet you want something light, try a spaghetti with brown butter and Feta. Whip up a salad and call it a nice, light dinner where you'll get to eat Makaronia the way momma made it.

In case you're wondering, that's plain white pasta in the photos, the brown butter has given the dish a warm nut-brown colour.

Spaghetti With Brown Butter and Feta (Μακαρόνια με βούτυρο και φέτα)
(per serving)

2 Tbsp. of butter
1 clove of garlic, smashed
handful of dry spaghetti (Misko brand)
extra-virgin olive oil
grated Kefalotyri or Romano cheese
crumbled Feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Get a pot of water boiling on your stovetop. When aboil, add a good amount of salt, add your spaghetti and cook according to packet's instructions.
2. In a small pot, add your butter, a little olive oil and the smashed clove of garlic over medium heat. Keep your eye on the melting butter and soon you will see the milk solids begin to foam and quickly dissappear...THIS is where you have to watch carefully.
3. Your butter will turn from a golden yellow to a chestnut brown very rapidly. Your goal is to get a nut-brown colour to your butter. Once you have that nut-brown butter, take off the heat, take the clove of garlic out and keep cover to keep warm until your pasta is done.
4. When your pasta is cooked to an "al dente", strain and place in the pot with your brown butter. Toss the pasta to coat and if the spaghetti appears a bit dry, add some olive oil into the mix. Add some grated Kefalotyri cheese and continue to toss until the cheese has blended in with the butter.
5. Take off the heat, add some crumbled Feta, a turn of fresh-cracked black pepper and top with some more crumbled Feta and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

The richer, creamier cousin to this dish can be found here.


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© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

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