AI-generated image

Hilopites

Name: Hilopites
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 300 g plain flour; 50 g fine semolina; 3 eggs; 40 ml whole milk; 0.5 tsp salt; 70 g butter; 80 g kefalotyri or dried myzithra; 0.5 tsp black pepper

Hilopítes: hand-cut egg pasta squares, Epirus style, with browned butter and cheese

Features:Vegetarian Make ahead Kid friendly

Cuisine:

Greek

In late summer, when sheep's milk and eggs are plentiful, the women of Epirus and Thessaly gather to make hilopites: a stiff egg-and-milk dough rolled thin, dried on cloths and cut into tiny squares, then stored in sacks for winter. They're cooked like any pasta, in stock with chicken or simply tossed with sizzling butter and grated cheese, which is how children in Ioannina eat them. This recipe makes a fresh batch and serves it the simple way. Kefalotyri and myzithra are often made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. Common mistake: cutting the sheets while still soft, so the squares stick — dry them until leathery first. Chef's tip: dried fully, they keep for months in a jar.

Total time: 70 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 4

One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

For the pasta

10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
1 ¾ oz fine semolina
3 eggs
2 ½ tbsp whole milk
½ tsp salt

To serve

2 ½ oz butter
2 ⅞ oz kefalotyri or dried myzithragrated; or a vegetarian hard cheese
½ tsp black pepper

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (3)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/7 done

Step 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz fine semolina and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Beat 3 eggs with 2 ½ tbsp whole milk, pour in and work into a stiff dough. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and firm, then wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
38 min
Step 2: Divide into 4. Roll each piece on a floured board to about 1.5 mm thick, as thin as you can manage.
10 min
Step 3: Lay the sheets on clean tea towels and leave to dry, turning once, until leathery but still flexible.
30 min
Step 4: Cut each sheet into 2 cm strips, stack a few strips and cut across into 1 cm squares. Toss with a little flour and spread out. Use now, or dry for 2–3 days until brittle and store in a jar.
Step 5: Cook in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring at first, until tender with a little bite: about 4 minutes fresh, 8–10 minutes dried. Drain, keeping a mugful of water.
5 min
Step 6: Meanwhile, heat 2 ½ oz butter in a small pan over a medium heat until it foams and turns nut-brown and smells toasty.
4 min
Step 7: Toss the hilopites with a splash of pasta water and half of 1 ⅜ oz kefalotyri or dried myzithra, pour over the sizzling butter and finish with the rest of 1 ⅜ oz kefalotyri or dried myzithra and ½ tsp black pepper.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 560 kcal
Protein: 19 g
Carbs: 66 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does hilopites take?: About 70 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?: Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of plain flour?: Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
What can I use instead of eggs?: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Boiled pasta

The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.

17 min

Italian Pasta & Noodles

by KrazyBadal 3 views

Greek village salad

A true Greek salad has no lettuce: just ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, sharp onion and olives, dressed with good olive oil and dried oregano, with a whole slab of feta on top. Salt the tomatoes first and they'll make their own dressing.

15 min

Greek Salads

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Pork souvlaki

This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.

32 min

Greek Meat