Recently the boyfriend introduced me to an Italian restaurant called The Old Spaghetti Factory, an American chain restaurant. It’s one of his favorite restaurants for Italian food, but if I had a choice, I tend to avoid pasta in general. Not because I don’t like pasta, I love it! That’s the problem. However, the BF insisted that I try one of their plates called Spaghetti with Browned Butter. The pasta is served topped with shredded Mizithra cheese (a Greek hard cheese), which gives the dish a unique delicious taste and it’s UHMAZING!
Butter, cheese and pasta, what’s there not to love, right? It’s a foodies dream come true and dangerous at the same time. Well, it doesn’t have to be. Being a foodie can have it’s benefits, we get to try and taste so many different cuisines. But there’s a price that comes with that, and it’s called calories! As a foodie and a passionate home cook, I try to pick my calorie battles for an even balance. So when I was approached by Barilla Pasta to try some of their newest multi-grain pasta, I knew exactly which recipe I wanted to try out! Now I could enjoy my favorite Mizithra Browned Butter Pasta without feeling too guilty.
So what’s the big deal with Barilla’s ProteinPlus pasta? Well for starters, this special made pasta has a good source of lean protein from a simple blend of egg whites, grains, lentils and chickpeas. It’s also a delicious wholesome pasta that provides 17g of protein (per 3.5oz portion) from all natural vegetarian ingredients with a good source of Fiber and ALA Omega-3. But is it good you ask? It’s tastes super delicious & has good texture. In fact, you’ll be impressed to know that Barilla Gluten Free pasta has recently been named one of Parents Magazine’s “Top 25 Allergy Free Foods”. Who knew!
Mizithra Browned Butter with Barilla ProteinPLUS® Pasta
Now that we know where the recipe was inspired from, we can chat about making it. Honestly, when I researched the recipe, I was a little shocked to discover how easy it is to make. It really comes down to 3 ingredients. I added parsley, which is optional to give it more color and taste. But overall, super easy to make!
Mizithra Browned Butter with Barilla ProteinPLUS® Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup Mizithra cheese
- Barilla ProteinPLUS® Spaghetti Pasta
- Parsley (for decoration and taste)
Instructions
- For Browned Butter: Cut butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).
- Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.
- Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.
- Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.
- Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.
- The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.
- For Spaghetti: Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and divide into servings. Spread 1/4 cup of Mizithra over each pasta serving. Top with 1/4 cup of hot brown butter.
- Sprinkle with parsley for color and taste. Enjoy!
Tip: Portion Control is Key to Well Balanced Meal
All though I would love to eat a whole plate, which I could. A single serving of pasta is generally regarded as 2 oz. (57 g) of cooked pasta for a first course or side dish. A serving can be raised 3 to 4 oz. (85 to 113 g) if it is the only course. Occasionally a serving is approximated as 1/2 cup (114 g) of pasta; however, this depends upon the shape of the pasta.
For more Barilla ProteinPlus pasta recipes check out their website. Pasta is available at your nearest Walmart location. In fact, here’s a $1.00 off your purchase available on Ibotta. I can’t wait to try their other pasta options, like their whole grain and veggie spaghetti!
Let me know if you try the recipe and what you suggest! Comment below for other ideas.