GREEK SPAGHETTI

I can’t believe this is the third “Greek” recipe in a row. It’s totally accidental, I swear. Except maybe for the oregano, there isn’t really anything in this pasta that would make it especially Greek. But I got the recipe online, from Allrecipes.com I think, so we can’t expect authenticity. This is a standby for me—like Cold Pasta with Garlic Sauce, it’s is a good emergency meal, something to make when you’re exhausted or haven’t gone grocery shopping (or both); I often have it when I've just returned from a trip. Buttery and cheesy, probably appealing to children, but for pete’s sake have a green salad with it because it’s not exactly bursting with nutrients on its own. Or in my case, have Stuffed Tomatoes Caprese. I pretty much made this pasta on Monday night just because I wanted something easy and unassuming to go with Stuffed Tomatoes Caprese. The combination was OK (although I wouldn’t recommend it, exactly—I realized belatedly that both involves a whole lot of cheese); the tomatoes added the necessary color and freshness to the meal. Anyway, this is plain, yummy, comforting food: my version of macaroni and cheese, I suppose.

1 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

2. Set a large pot of lightly salted water on the stove over high heat for cooking the pasta. When it boils, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the salt in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook it until it just begins to brown, then remove it from the heat.

4. Drain the pasta and poured it, with some water still clinging to the strands, into a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish. Pour in the butter, cheese, and oregano, and toss everything together well.

5. Bake the pasta in a preheated oven 10-15 minutes, until—well, the recipe says “hot and bubbly,” but I have never seen this become “bubbly.” I bake it until it’s hot and the cheese is melted.

Serves: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes, tops