Cretan pasta

Cretan pasta or Cretan lasagna, known in Greek as “makaronia skioufichta“, “makarounes” or “kritika lazania“, is another very traditional dish of the Cretan diet lesser known outside Crete. Cretan pasta is mainly prepared in eastern Crete and is always homemade from good quality hard flour, such as spelt, which has always been available in Crete. The ingredients are simple; good quality hard flour, olive oil, salt and lukewarm water. The outcome is delicious, especially when combined with grated hard Cretan “anthotiros” or “tirozouli” cheese. Of course, Cretan pasta can be combined with any sauce such as conventional pasta does. For example they combine great with mushrooms. Another way to prepare them is to boil them in a lamb broth, to produce a delicious dish called “makaronia sizouma“, used to be presented in festive meals. When eaten in moderation home made pasta contains beneficial nutrients, such as folate, thiamine and selenium.