Browned Butter and Myzithra Pasta (Mac 'N Cheese for Grown-ups)

Intro: Browned Butter and Myzithra Pasta (Mac 'N Cheese for Grown-ups)

Short on time and need to make dinner quick?  Don't want to dirty a whole pile of dishes or make something from a box?  Here's a quick "from scratch" recipe that I love to make.  Follow along with me and dinner will be on the table in about 30 minutes.

STEP 1: Hunt and Gather

The following is everything you need to make this simple yet delicious dish:

Stove top (or equivalent)
Two pots (one large one small)
Stirring utensil
Colander (careful don't strain yourself)
Grater
Water
Pasta (about four servings give or take)
Butter (salted or non) 1/4 cup +/-  (no substitutes)
Myzithra Cheese 1/8 to 1/4 cup (a hard salty cheese that is not quite like any other)
    - this cheese keeps really well so go ahead and buy some next time you're out shopping.

Optional: Adorable Assistant.

STEP 2: Get Cooking!

Cook pasta to your liking, or follow these basic instructions.
Boil water, add your pasta and cook it for about 7 minutes after it returns to a boil.

While the water is boiling start melting the butter over low heat.
You'll see the butter go through several stages:
Melting
Clarifying (you'll see the oil separate from the milk solids)
Browning (the milk solids will brown/caramelize) - this is what we're after.

Make sure to stir the butter frequently to keep it from burning.
You'll know it's done when it has a somewhat nutty scent and you can see the browned milk solids swimming in the bottom of the pot.
Take the pot off the stove. Be careful not to let this sit too long as it can continue cook and may burn.

By this time your pasta should be cooked and drained as well.

STEP 3: Putting It All Together.

Pour the butter sauce over the pasta and stir thoroughly.
Dish out the pasta.

Grate the cheese either into a separate bowl or directly onto each dish.

STEP 4: Share and Enjoy.

Serve hot.
Enjoy!

Goes great with fresh salad.

Comments

[HarleyMaiden]

My friend worked at a pasta restaurant and had given me this recipe. The only difference was I cut one or 2 cloves of garlic up very small and added it along with some chopped parsley to the butter sauce as it was browning. Mizithra cheese is available in most grocery stores! Love it!

[klixtopher]

I think I tried the garlic once, but it burned... I'll have to give it another go, sounds good. Thanks!

[HarleyMaiden]

Try adding the chopped garlic just when the butter sauce starts turning brown....

[klixtopher]

Will do, thanks.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I love pasta and mac and cheese! I had this at a restaurant, but assumed it would be too hard to make! I will have to give this a try. Is that type of cheese in the fancy cheese section of the store?

[klixtopher]

We usually get it in the Deli section at our local grocers, it can be a little hard to find (and asking the people behind the counter doesn't always work), but it is definitely worth the search. Also I find that one purchase is usually good for 3-4 meals so even if you have to go to a specialty store to get it, you only have to go once in a while. To give you an idea, the piece in the picture at the start was already used for two meals and will yield 2-3 more meals (the one in this instructable included). Hope it all turns out for you - enjoy!