While at the grocery store last week, I spied a container of shredded Mizithra cheese.
If you have never tried Mizithra cheese you are in for a real treat! It is a hard cheese with a lovely salty, tangy flavor that is surprisingly delicious. When I saw it I snapped it right up so I could make this Spaghetti with Mizithra cheese pasta dish.
The Old Spaghetti Factory has had this on their menu for decades, and it’s one of my favorites. I made it at home all the time when my oldest son was still at home, he requested it for dinner all the time. It’s a quick and tasty pantry meal. The cheese will keep for several weeks in the fridge and you most assuredly have butter, garlic and spaghetti noodles on hand. Add a bit of freshly ground pepper and you can have dinner on the table in a flash.
I serve this pasta dish with a crisp green salad and freshly baked bread. If you are short on time, serve it with these Cheese Stuffed Biscuits basted with garlic butter. A delishious homemade meal, made from scratch in less than 30 minutes is totally doable!
If you have little more time on your hands, give baking a loaf of French bread a try. I highly recommend this recipe and technique. It’s perfect for anyone new to baking bread, but equally good for more experienced bread bakers.
Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.
I like to break up the spaghetti noodles, it makes it easier to eat them. I got in the habit when my boys were young and I’ve continued to do it ever since. This is totally optional.
Did you know that placing a wooden spoon across the pot as the pasta is cooking will prevent it from boiling over? I don’t know how or why this works, but it does.
While the spaghetti noodles are cooking its time to get the butter sauce ready. In a large skillet, melt butter and cook until foamy. Add minced garlic cloves and freshly ground pepper to the butter.
When pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add it to the skillet with the butter, garlic and pepper. Stir to coat the pasta completely with the butter sauce. Remove from heat.
To serve place a mound of buttered pasta on a plate and top with a generous handful of grated Mizithra cheese. Sprinkle with a little parsley if desired…and dig in!
Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 oz Mizithra cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti noodles al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- While noodles are cooking, prepare butter sauce. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and freshly ground pepper. Cook garlic until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
- Add cooked spaghetti noodles to the butter sauce in the skillet and stir to coat the noodles completely with the butter sauce.
- To serve, place a heaping mound of buttered spaghetti noodles on a plate and top with a generous handful of shredded Mizithra cheese.
- Optional: top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
This pasta dish is easy to prepare. It can be made in under 30 minutes and uses ingredients you can keep in the pantry and fridge that you can pull out at a moments notice for a quick and tasty meal, anytime.
So keep your eyes peeled for Mizithra cheese on your next shopping trip. I used to buy it in chunk form but now you can purchase it pre-shredded making it even easier to prepare this dish. If you can find it, be sure to toss it in your cart so you can make this tasty meal for your family.
If you decide to make this Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese, don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram so I can see it!