Skioufichta Pasta With Mizithra Cheese

Prepare The Dough:

1. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a small well in the center.
2. Pour in the water gradually while folding in the flour from the sides using a fork.
3. Knead. Once the flour absorbs all the water (you may not need to add all of the water add just enough to form a dough), transfer the dough to a working surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until soft and very smooth.
4. Rest. Lightly flour the bottom of the bowl and place the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
5. Cut the dough. Place the dough on a working surface again. A wooden cutting board would be best. Cut the dough into pieces and then shape into 1 cm (¼-inch) long cords. Then cut into 2 cm (¾-inch) pieces.
6. Shape. You can shape the pasta either with your hands or with a chopstick. First, roll it to a 2 cm (¾-inch) small cord (because it tends to pull back and become smaller when you cut it). Second, using your index, middle, and ring finger press the small cord right at the center and with a swift movement pull it downwards towards you. Or use a chopstick and roll it open without applying too much pressure. Don't forget to lightly dust some flour on top while you shape the pasta so it won't stick together.
7. Air-dry. Place the Skioufichta pasta in a floured pan and lightly flour it on top as well. Allow to air-dry like this for 2-3 hours at room temperature.

Cook The Pasta:

1. Bring 2 liters of water to a boil together with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Add the pasta to a strainer or large sieve and shake to remove excess flour. Then toss it into the boiling water. (While the pasta cooks prepare the butter as mentioned below).
3. Boil the pasta over medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes for al dente or up to 15 minutes if you prefer it soft.
4. Transfer the pasta to a bowl plate using a slotted spoon.

Prepare The Butter (Optional):

1. For extra flavor, we are using browned butter here. However, you can simply use melted butter instead.
2. Add butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low.
3. Melt and cook the butter for a couple of minutes until you start to see brown bits at the bottom of the saucepan and it starts to smell nutty.
4. Let it sit for a minute or 2 and then carefully pour it into a small bowl leaving the burned bits in the saucepan.

Serve:

1. Pour the butter all over the cooked pasta, add also 2 tablespoons of Mizithra cheese, and stir well to combine.
2. Serve on individual plates with the remaining cheese on top and some freshly ground pepper.