Makaron me elies kai domata – Greek pasta with olives, tomatoes and feta Recipe
This quick pasta dish with a sauce made from tomatoes, olives, garlic and feta tastes like a holiday on the Aegean Sea served on a single plate. In Greece, similar pastas often appear for dinner when there’s no time for long cooking. It’s something between Italian spaghetti alla puttanesca and a Greek salad – plenty of olive oil, herbs, cheese and olives.
This pasta combines the simplicity of everyday Greek cooking with the comfort of an Italian-style tomato sauce. Salty olives and feta, aromatic oregano and plenty of olive oil create a deep, sunny flavor with very little effort and just one pan for the sauce.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality olives and feta, as they provide most of the flavor. Don’t overcook the garlic so it doesn’t become bitter. Adjust the amount of chili flakes to your heat tolerance, and don’t forget to reserve some pasta cooking water – it’s the easiest way to make the sauce silky and help it cling to the pasta.
How to serve
Serve in warm bowls, topped with a little extra crumbled feta and a drizzle of good olive oil. Add a wedge of lemon on the side for those who like a bit of freshness. A side of crusty bread is perfect for mopping up the sauce.
Ingredients
- pasta - 250 g
- tomatoes - 400 g
- olives - 60 g
- feta cheese - 80 g
- garlic - 3 cloves
- onion - 0.5 pieces
- olive oil - 40 ml
- oregano - 1 teaspoon
- chili flakes - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt - 0.75 teaspoons
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- parsley chopped - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about 0.5 teaspoon of salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, so it’s slightly firm to the bite. Reserve about half a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the rest.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Finely dice the onion, finely chop the garlic, and slice the olives. Crumble the feta with your fingers into small pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and chili flakes and fry for about 1 more minute, stirring, until the garlic becomes very fragrant but does not brown.
- Pour the canned tomatoes into the pan, add the oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the excess liquid evaporates.
- Add the olives to the sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Mix thoroughly; if the sauce seems too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water so everything is juicy and slightly creamy.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the crumbled feta and gently toss so that some of the cheese melts and some remains in pieces. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Storage
Makaron najlepiej smakuje świeży, ale można go przechować w lodówce i podgrzać na patelni z odrobiną wody lub oliwy. Po schłodzeniu sos lekko gęstnieje, więc przy podgrzewaniu warto dodać trochę płynu.
