AFTER A BUSY WEEK...

...I am back with a recipe. 
This is an easy pasta recipe.  Besides your choice of pasta, there are only 2 ingredients needed for

MIZITHRA and BROWNED BUTTER PASTA

2 cubes (1 cup) REAL butter.  (I almost always prefer unsalted, but especially in this recipe.)
pack of mizithra cheese (usually about 8 oz.)
1 pound of pasta, cooked al dente' (I use thin spaghetti)

The first step is to grate your mizithra cheese.  I use my 5 in 1 Power Blender.  (Like a Magic Bullet.)  It is fast and I can store the extra cheese in the container.

Then brown (clarify) your butter.  In a sauce pan, over medium heat, melt your 2 cubes of butter.  When the butter has melted, it will start to cook.  It will begin to foam and bubble.  You want to stir it constantly so it does not foam over (can catch fire) or burn.  It will take between 3-6 minutes to foam and then start to brown.  You want the butter to be a caramel colour, and have a wonderful brown butter smell, BUT, once it starts to brown-it goes fast.  There can be seconds between "almost" and "burned".  Don't let that scare you.  Just watch and stir.

As soon as your butter looks right, remove from heat and let it set for a minute or two.  The butter will separate, clarifying the butter on the top, and leaving a residue in the bottom of your pan.  Pour butter into a clean dish (a gravy bowl?)  without disturbing the sediment on the bottom of the pan.  You may strain the butter if you want to.

I strain my pasta (after saving about 1 cup of my pasta liquid).  I make it family style by pouring most of the butter over the hot pasta and then tossing it together with the grated cheese.  (I grate the whole 8 oz., but usually use about half.)  I serve it hot with extra fresh grated Parmesan cheese. (If your pasta is too dry, you can toss in a bit of the reserved starchy pasta water.  I rarely need to do that, but I always save the water.)

One good thing about this recipe is that everything can be made ahead.  I can strain my al dente pasta and put it in a zip lock.  Before serving reheat briefly in a new pot of salted boiling water.
Browned butter heats up nicely in the microwave.  (Be sure to cover it.)
This recipe also re-heats well if you have left-overs.

My family likes roasted, grilled or sauteed fresh vegetables, so I make that with this a lot.  (any quantity or variety of tomatoes, squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, peppers...)  I usually do fruit and sometimes a salad or veggie tray. 

I will post another recipe using browned butter soon.
I have another busy week this week, but hope to get at least 2 posts done.  Have a great week, and let me know what you are cooking or crafting :)