Happy Friday and April 1st friends! I have a special collaboration to share this week on my blog. I partnered up with my friends at Anthos Foods located in Pittsburg, PA. In case you are wondering what anthos means, it translates to blossom in english. “Anthos Foods was created to showcase and share the exceptional foods produced by the lands of Greece and its people.” Anthos imports all of their products from different parts of Greece. They work with local producers who honor tradition, non-GMO farming, handmade production methods and sustainable growth. Anthos Foods prepares freshly baked goods using premium ingredients that are imported from their homeland. The pasta that was used in this recipe is called Adamantina House Striftadia-Casarecce. It is similar to casarecce, striftadia is a type of traditional Greek pasta twists. Garlic, butter, shallots, eggplant, tomatoes, olives, capers and basil were all sautéed to create the perfect sauce for this delicious pasta dish. The feta cheese that was sprinkled on top at the end really brought this dish together. Have a great weekend everyone!

Mare’s Traditional Greek Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 bag of Adamantina House Striftadia-Casarecce pasta (casarecce pasta is fine to use)

1 cup olives, cut in half (you can use either pitted or non-pitted)

1 cup capers

2 cloves garlic, chopped or in a garlic presser

1 eggplant, chopped

4 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons basil, chopped

1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese ( if you don’t like feta cheese you can substitute goat cheese or any other cheese you prefer)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package. When pasta is done cooking drain and set aside. Add a little oil so pasta does not stick together. Chop olives, tomatoes, eggplant, shallots, garlic (if you are not using a garlic press) and basil. In a sauté pan over medium heat add butter. Let butter melt and add in garlic and shallots. Cook garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add in eggplant and tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add in olives and capers to pan and stir. Once the sauce is stirred well, add in pasta. Stir pasta until well combined and coated in sauce. When you are ready to serve, plate pasta and garnish with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

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