Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter is a Spaghetti Factory copycat recipe! This pasta takes just 4 ingredients and about 10 minutes total, making it an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
One of my standby dinners (that is always a hit) is spaghetti with mizithra cheese and browned butter. It’s a more flavorful twist on the childhood favorite – parmesan and buttered noodles.
Mizithra cheese and brown butter elevate this simple dish. It’s hard to believe you can make something so good with just a few ingredients! Dry, mild Mizithra Cheese is always a crowd pleaser. It’s like grown up buttered noodles! With just one bite you’ll know why I wanted to make this at home – this copycat recipe is so easy and so good. According to their website it is an old Dussin family recipe (founder of the OSF).
Can I make a confession? This dish is my lifelong favorite at the Spaghetti Factory. I’m so obsessed that when we moved to KC many years ago (without one), I recreated it.
What is Mizithra Cheese?
Mizithra is a combination of un-pastuerized sheep (or goat’s milk cheese) and whey, imported from Greece. It is dry and mild – perfect for pasta.
Hard or dried mizithra is also known as anthotyro xero. It’s easy to grate, much like parmesan or asiago. Interestingly, it’s almost always pronounced wrong in the United States. It’s properly pronounced Meezeethra. Any which way you say it, you’ll say it’s delicious!
Ingredients
- Spaghetti – You can substitute with your noodle of choice.
- Mizithra Cheese – The star of the show. This amazing cheese is so full of flavor.
- Butter – Brown butter adds rich, nutty flavor.
- Parsley – Fresh, to garnish.
Tips
Swirl (don’t stir) the butter to cook evenly. As it begins to melt, it will start to foam. Watch carefully as the color turns brown and you start to smell a nutty aroma (about 3-5 minutes).
Spaghetti with Mizithra and Browned Butter
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti 1 box
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ pound mizithra cheese grated
- parsley garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare noodles al dente.16 ounces spaghetti
- Meanwhile, heat skillet to medium, add butter in chunks.½ cup butter
- Whisking, monitor the butter until it turns brown and has a nutty aroma, careful not to burn it.
- Remove the foam and toss with strained spaghetti.
- Top with freshly shredded mizithra cheese and garnish with parsley.¼ pound mizithra cheese, parsley
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Spaghetti – You can substitute with your noodle of choice.
- Mizithra Cheese – It is the star of the show, but you can substitute with parmesan, asiago or pecorino romano in a pinch.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted.
- Parlsey – Eliminate rather than substitute.
Where to Find Mizithra
- online
- gourmet grocers
- cheese stores
- markets like Dean & Deluca
- The Spaghetti Factory sells freshly shredded mizithra to go
Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
This is my FAVORITE! Thank you!
This was such an easy, delicious meal! I’m so glad for the introduction to mizithra cheese!
Such a simple yet delicious recipe. I have never had the original version, but I can see why it is so popular.
Good Morning Julie 🙂 I too fell in love with the Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese at the Spaghetti Factory some 30 years ago in KC! At that time it was located down town in an old refurbished building…the restaurant itself was a sight to behold (I was 20-something then and totally in awe of the decor and heavenly aroma as I stood in the foyer and felt like I was in an Italian court yard! I longed to visit Italy ever since!) Thank you for the recipe and the recall of a memory I hadn’t thought about in years! I am definitely going to make your recipe and enjoy the memory thoroughly!
I heard there was once a location in KC – sad that it’s no longer there! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing, Shari!
I LOVE, LOVE LOVE this dish at The Spaghetti Factory. I seldom eat there but when I do it is the only thing I order. I also make it at home, it’s delish!
Me too, Celia! Enjoy!