Hilopites With Mushrooms and Mint
Jun 11th, 2009 | By Peter Minakis | Category: Greek, Greek Wine, Herbs, Mushrooms, Olive Oil, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Hilopites (pronounced “HEE-lo-Pee-tez”) are a class of pasta that are made in Greece and some families still have their own recipe, many festivals have ladies selling their artisan pasta and other dry noodles and they are definitely available at Greek supermarkets.
The most common Hilopites are a small square pasta that are often used in soups or a baked chicken dish and the other (the one we’re using today) is a long, thick broad egg noodle.
Ask for Hilopites at your nearest Greek grocer and if you still can’t find them (or nowhere near a Greek grocer)…a broad egg noodle will work fine here.
The second element to this dish is the wine, Muscat de Limnos. This is a fortified white wine, very aromatic and the Moscato grape is used (thus the name Muscat). The Moscato grape appears all over Greece but the finest Muscat wines are reputed to come from the island of Samos.
Limnos is an island just nortwest of Samos and I must say I’m very pleased with the floral qualities of this dessert wine. You’ll admire it’s golden-honey colour, it’s hints of apricot and citrus.
The third component of this pasta dish is fresh herbs. Regular readers of my blog know that I adore the luxury of being able to just hop into my backyard and snip-off my choice of garden-fresh herbs.
One of the first herbs to appear in the garden is mint and this herb is the star of this quick, easy and very filling pasta dish. Like any other good pasta dish, little time is needed and this “sauce” is ready in the time it takes to boil your pasta.
After a rainy Spring here in Canada, it’s fitting that mushrooms are everywhere in the marketplace and although summer’s just around the corner, everything here is seasonal, it’s fresh, it’s bright and as you can see from the photos – meant to be eaten outdoors!
Hilopites With Mushrooms and Mint
(serves 4)
approx 2 cups of Crimini (or button) mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. of fresh thyme
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1 shot of Muscat wine
1 500 gr. package of broad egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled Feta cheese
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a good amount of salt and add your pasta into the water and cook according the instructions.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add your olive oil and your sliced mushrooms and a little salt and saute for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Cover and reduce to medium an allow the mushrooms to simmer for another 5 minutes (or until they have softened).
- Uncover and the garlic, thyme, stock and Muscat wine and bring up to a boil. Reduce back to medium and reduce until nearly all the liquid is gone.
- When your pasta has been cooked, drain and add to the mushroom mixture along with the chopped fresh mint and some crumbled Feta. Toss to coat and adjust seasoning salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide among four plates, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, a cube of Feta cheese and some fresh mint.
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis
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© 2009, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
A delightful dish! Those pasta look irresistible!
Cheers,
Rosa
I love mint and mushrooms. And, I agree about enjoying the weather when you have it. On this side of Lake Erie, you only have it so long.
De-li-ci-ous!
MMMM..Peter, this is pure deliciousness,….
This looks extraordinary, and while I might not be able to get hilopites, I think I can approximate. We have a lovely crop of mint on our balcony, and fabulous mushrooms at our market.
Oh wow. The leftover pizza that I am having for lunch somehow seems so inedequate.
That would be inadequate.
Delightful pasta dish – love the addition of mint and feta!
I am enjoying the fact that you are cooking both “locally” from your own gardens as well as seasonally with mushrooms.
I love the used of muscat here! Just wondering if you’ve ever made your own feta? I was reading about it the other day & wondered if it was worth it.
Lovely fresh recipe Peter, really summery.
I’m curious about the Muscat in this dish, as I love dessert/fortified wines…interesting flavours Peter!
That looks delicious!
I can see from your photo that your are enjoying beautiful weather. We are freezing!! I love the simplicity of this meals although there is a little decadence in there from the Muscat!!
A cube of feta peter :-) I would add more :-)
Love this pasta looks really yumm and i love anything with mushrooms.
A perfect dish!!
And if you can find homemade hilopites, then this dish is…. just super!!!
Love this pasta dish Peter! I would never have thought to use a fortified wine in a pasta dish!
I love the cherry on top of this– a cube of cheese, yeah! I suppose papardelle would be an acceptable substitute for the hilopites (sorry, sometimes when I hear egg noodles, I think of some Chinese noodles). Looks delicious, Peter!
Fantastic pasta dish. I never can resist feta and mushrooms. And your photos are just stunning. I can really get an idea of how wonderful this dish must have tasted.
Wow, great mix of flavors going on there! Love it Peter! I want to try making this type of pasta, too.
Delicious! I love mushrooms – and pasta of course… I’m sure the addition of feta makes this dish just perfect!
I love hilopites. great dish.
Love the mint in this — mint and mushrooms go so well together!
My mint is flourishing! What a delightful dish and I love hearing all about it’s history.
Fantastic. Sounds quick to make and delicious. Like the addition of mint.
I have never heard of Hilophites. At first I thought it was a dish from Hilo ( a town in Hawaii). Looks very good!
Simple and yet so yummy looking!
Beautiful pasta dish! The combination of mint and mushroom is intriguing. And, of course, I always like the addition of a little thyme.
Peter …I am going weak in the knees…lol…
pasta is mu weakness and artisan pasta …awwww!!
Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe..m off to the market now scouting…;p
you have such a way with presentation, peter! you’ve managed to make a dish containing a variety of things that don’t really appeal to me quite appealing! :)
I really love mushroom pasta! These noodles look awesome and those mushrooms…WOW.
I think this is the first time I have seen muscat in a pasta dish. I’m dying to try this now. My husband loves muscat. This is simple and yet unusual.
What a lovely and perfectly seasonal recipe! The wine you describe sounds fantastic, I love those fruity undertones and, while I don’t drink, I appreciate them in cooking. There’s a Greek festival here in Calgary soon, I’m going to check it out now that I’m so much better versed in Greek traditions through your blog :)
What a fabulous pasta. Strange how noodles have crossed into almost all cultures. The mushroom-feta combination really makes this dish.
I’ll bet this tastes as good as it looks. Have a wonderful day….Mary
delicious as always Peter
oooooooohhhhh Peter I am sure that the dish is better than that wonderfull photo!!!!!!! if I could only pass there through my pc…..
miam miam….
many kisses
Amalia
Very interesting twist with that Muscat wine.
YAY for eating al fresco!
LL
Hilopites are such a tasty type of pasta even on their own, but I love the combination you’ve used here, especially the shot of sweet wine.
Pasta with mushrooms is an absolutely wonderful thing. I’m going to have to locate hilopites in one form or another and give it a try.
I have really come to enjoy using fresh mint in savoury dishes like this!
I know this sounds crazy, but I never considered Greek food to incorporate some sort of pasta. The mushrooms look hearty and the mint gives a hint of freshness.
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