Makaronia

Makaronia is Greek comfort food stripped to its essentials: hot spaghetti tossed in a half pound of melted butter with salty feta (or mizithra if you can find it) and briny kalamata olives. That’s it. Four ingredients doing all the work.

The butter goes into the pan first and should be fully melted before the cheese hits it. Stir the feta in so it softens and coats the pasta evenly. Then add your cooked spaghetti and toss until every strand is glossy. The kalamata olives go in last, shaved off the pit in thin strips so they distribute throughout the dish rather than sitting in clumps.

Use unsalted butter here. Between the feta and the olives, there’s plenty of salt already. Salted butter will push this over the edge fast.

Pro Tips

• Shave the olive meat off the pits with a paring knife rather than buying pre-sliced. You get thinner, more irregular pieces that cling to the pasta better.
• Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the sauce if it gets too thick.
• Cook the spaghetti just short of al dente. It finishes in the butter sauce.
• If you can source mizithra cheese (a Greek whey cheese), use it. It’s drier and nuttier than feta, and it’s the traditional choice.

Variations

• Browned butter: Let the butter cook past melted until it turns golden and smells nutty for a deeper, toasted flavor.
• Add greens: Toss in a handful of fresh arugula or baby spinach right before serving. The heat wilts it just enough.
• Lemon brightness: Squeeze half a lemon over the finished dish and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.