Spaghetti with Sautéed Onions, Feta and Herbs

Spaghetti with Sautéed Onions, Feta and Herbs

Yesterday I was getting ready to make my pasta dinner but first I wanted to watch Giada  De Laurentiis,  on the cooking network. I love to watch this chef.

I had grown up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood and most of the matriarch was from Italy and their children were first generation Americans.

Giada  is from Italy and what she makes with American taste in mind takes me back to one of the best times of my young life when my neighbors took me under their wings and taught me how to cook.

 Giada  was making an olive oil cake which I mentally put on my to do list. Then she made a pasta recipe that caught my attention.

It sounded so good I changed my mind about what pasta dish I would make to celebrate International Pasta Day.

Instead of traditional spaghetti sauce and pasta I would prepare my version of what Giada had made.

Because Giada used the best and in my opinion most expensive ingredients I had to change up the recipe so it would be inexpensive to make but taste great.

I was sure that I could do just that with the recipe. Giada was helpful when she explained some substitutions for certain ingredients and even explained that one of the herbs was a wild version of another herb. Perfect!

I would not have to go to the store to get anything I had everything I needed on hand.

So last night this is what I made:

Spaghetti with Sautéed Onions, Feta and Herbs

Ingredients

¼ pound of pasta (that’s about a quarter of a box)

1 1/2  tablespoon of olive oil

1 capful or teaspoon  of lemon juice fresh or bottled

½ of a red onion (white or yellow are ok too)

½ Teaspoon of marjoram or oregano   (marjoram is the wild version of oregano Giada explained)

·        2  ounces feta cheese, cubed (mine was crumbled because I had some feta for a toss salad)

·        Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

·        ½ cup of pasta water

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta until tender. Takes about 8 minutes you still want a little firmness to it. Make sure your heavily salt the water

Drain pasta but retain a ½  cup of the cooking liquid (it’s a good source starchy water)

While the pasta is cooking heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon in a heavy skillet over a medium heat.

Add onions and sauté until tender and beginning to brown. That takes about 15 minutes depending on your stove.

Then add the salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the marjoram or oregano and sauté until fragrant that’s about one minute.

Add the pasta and remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a ½ teaspoon of more lemon juice.

Then add half of the water you have reserved and toss. It the pasta does not seem moist enough then add the additional water you have reserved.

Then add the feta cheese and lightly toss to blend with the pasta.

Transfer to bowls and serve.

This would also be an awesome dish to add seafood to. Such as shrimp, clams, or muscles.

Though my research I discovered that marjoram and oregano

have very similar tastes and one can be used in place of the other even if they are different herbs.

This was a very enjoyable pasta dinner light and fresh tasting.

I was lucky and had the marjoram in my pantry but if you don’t put it on your shopping list. You can find it at the Dollar Tree of course for a dollar.

I decided to have broccoli with my dinner last night flavored with salt, pepper, and orange zest.

A green side was perfect for this meal.

Give this pasta dinner a try and enjoy!