There’s something magical about the combination of nutty browned butter and sharp, aged cheese. The Old Spaghetti Factory’s signature Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter pasta perfectly exemplifies how a few simple, high-quality ingredients can create an unforgettable dish. This copycat recipe captures the restaurant’s unique twist on the traditional Italian brown butter pasta by combining the distinctive flavors of Mizithra and Romano cheeses.
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What makes the Spaghetti Factory Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter so good?
Brown Butter Spaghetti is a traditional Italian recipe for brown butter pasta, but The Old Spaghetti Factory makes it its own with Mizithra cheese. This minor tweak makes a significant difference in the dish’s taste without adding extra work.
If you love the nuttiness of browned butter, you are going to want to try this new take on tradition. And if you are new to brown butter sauce, this recipe will open up a lot of new pasta-bilities.
Why You Should Try This Recipe for Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter
The secret to this dish’s success lies in two key elements: properly browned butter, which provides a deep, nutty flavor, and the combination of Mizithra and Romano cheeses. While many copycat recipes omit the Romano, it’s essential for achieving the perfect balance of sharp and nutty flavors that makes the restaurant version so memorable.
What is Mizithra Cheese?
There’s no shame in not knowing about Mizithra cheese; it’s uncommon in the US. Mizithra is a unique Greek cheese that incorporates the whey left behind from making sheep—or goat-milk cheese. So, what does Mizithra cheese taste like? Younger Mizithra cheese has a soft and creamy consistency similar to ricotta, but once aged, it becomes harder with a pronounced nutty flavor. Go with the aged version for this recipe.
If you are wondering where to buy Mizithra cheese, the truth is that it can be challenging to find. And if you do find it, it isn’t cheap. So, if you don’t want to spend the effort or money to get Mizithra, you can always substitute Parmesan cheese. The flavor won’t be precisely the same as what you get in the restaurant, but it will still be delicious.
The Old Spaghetti Factory Mizithra Cheese Pasta Ingredients
For the Pasta
- Spaghetti – Forms the base of the dish; it can be substituted with your preferred pasta shape
- Unsalted butter – Creates the rich, nutty brown butter sauce
- Mizithra cheese, freshly grated – Provides unique nutty, salty flavor
- Romano cheese, freshly grated – Adds sharp, tangy notes that balance the Mizithra
- Fresh parsley, chopped – Adds fresh color and subtle herb flavor
- Salt for pasta water – Seasons the pasta from within
Ingredient Notes
The Old Spaghetti Factory uses spaghetti noodles in this dish, but you can use your favorite pasta type.
Why not make things easier by buying The Old Spaghetti Factory Grated Mizithra & Romano Cheese Blend from the store? It can be found at some grocery stores. You can also use grated Parmesan as a Mizithra cheese substitute.
How to Make Old Spaghetti Factory Mizithra Cheese Pasta
To prepare this dish:
- Bring a stockpot of well-salted water to boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish.
- Grate the Mizithra and Romano cheeses. Set aside.
- Rinse, dry, and chop the leaves of the parsley. Please keep it for later.
- Brown the butter in a small saucepan. If you don’t know how to brown butter, check out the “A Bit About Browning Butter” section below.
- Toss the hot browned butter and pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the grated Mizithra and Romano cheeses while tossing the pasta to coat the pasta evenly.
- Plate the sauced pasta and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with extra grated cheese on the side.
A Bit About Browning Butter
Browning butter doesn’t mean burning it. But don’t worry if you are not a master chef; as long as you pay attention, it’s not complicated:
- Heat a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Using a light-colored saucepan makes it much easier to tell the color of the butter.
- Cut the butter into even-sized pieces. Using pieces of butter that are all the same size ensures even melting and prevents burning.
- Gently swirl the saucepan and stir with a silicone spatula.
- While swirling the saucepan, let the butter come to a slow simmer. Adjust the heat as needed.
- Once the butter stops foaming and the butter turns a light tan, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Continue stirring the butter in the saucepan off the heat. It will continue to darken and develop a nutty smell, but you are less likely to burn it.
- Pour the browned butter into a bowl. Don’t leave behind the brown bits since they have the most intense flavor.
What to Serve With This Spaghetti Factory Mizithra Cheese Recipe
You can get bread or salad at the restaurant, but at home, you have many more choices. Here are just a few:
- Sauteed broccoli rabe. The bitterness of the broccoli robe pairs incredibly well with this pasta dish’s nutty, earthy flavor.
- Garlic bread. Everyone loves this classic side, and it’s so easy to make.
- Chicken breast. A simply seasoned grilled chicken breast is perfect paired with this pasta.
How to Store the Leftovers
It is best to cook only as much as you’re ready to enjoy immediately since this dish doesn’t keep very well. But the good news is that it only takes a few minutes to make the sauce, and you can store cooked and cooled pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Looking for more pasta dishes? Try these recipes
- Garlic Butter Spaghetti Recipe
- Best Pasta Vodka Sauce
- Manicotti with Meat Sauce
- Chicken Scampi
- Pizza Hut Pasta
- Capellini Pomodoro
- Italian Sausage Instant Pot
- Olive Garden Alfredo
- Olive Garden Lasagna Recipe
- More Olive Garden Recipes
Italian Dessert Recipes
Be sure to check out more of my top rated pasta recipes and copycat Italian restaurant food.
Old Spaghetti Factory Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta
- 1 cup butter salted or unsalted
- 1/2 cup grated mizithra cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain, but do not rinse.
- While the pasta is cooking, brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Remove the foam with a spoon. Continue cooking the butter until it browns.
- Place the pasta, browned butter, mizithra, and Romano cheese into a bowl and toss until the pasta is well coated. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. This dish does not reheat well.
Video
Notes
Pro Recipe Tips
Troubleshooting Brown Butter
- If butter is taking too long to brown: Increase heat slightly
- If butter browns too quickly: Remove from heat immediately
- If butter burns: Start over – burned butter cannot be saved
- Signs of properly browned butter:
- Golden brown color
- Nutty aroma
- Brown bits at bottom
- No black specs
Cheese Substitutions
- Can’t find Mizithra? Use Parmesan cheese instead
- For extra convenience: Look for The Old Spaghetti Factory’s pre-grated Mizithra & Romano cheese blend in stores
- For sharper flavor: Increase ratio of Romano
- For nuttier flavor: Increase ratio of Mizithra
Amazon sells mizithra cheese.
Soooooo rich & I cut the butter & pasta in half! Very easy to make, will make it again. Hardest part of the recipe was finding mizithra cheese.
I searched every cheese store in Madison WI (and they have a LOT of cheese stores) Only one person had even heard of it. Only place I’ve found it is the Brown Derby Cheese and Wine store in Springfield Mo. Really not that expensive either.
I found the cheese on Amazon
I’m late to the party but cotija cheese works really well in this recipe. Not spaghetti factory taste but very good. It does have a distinct briny type taste. I think I’ll mix with parm tonight. Mizithra has been impossible to find in my neck of the woods since covid. I can’t go to any function without bringing your recipe for Jimmy Buffets mac and cheese. Trust the process and follow that one to the letter. Thank you!
GREAT
I’d never had Mizithra until tonight when I tried your recipe and it was wonderful. I would say that the pepper at the end took this dish over the top. Love, love, love it. Thank you for the recipe!
I have always loved this spaghetti with Mizithra from These Restaurants, in different parts of the Country! The Best was in Salt lake City in the 80’s and served generously, as in Hawaii, but some other places, like in Duarte and Stockton, CA. were a bit skimpy on the amount of pasta?
The other attempts at preparing it at home was to brown the butter with about 1 tsp. of grated fresh Garlic into the bubbling mixture! The results were quite close to the restaurants! but I actually do not know if they even use garlic! It was pretty darn Close! Also, the browned butter particles are absolutely needed in the spaghetti! It’s the nutty flavo, that makes it so delicious!!
Love Spaghetti Factory and this is my fave.Thanks for compleating my education.
Made this tonight and good grief, that’s a LOT of butter, even when you spoon off the top layer. I recommend draining the butter immediately after tossing with noodles. Used the OSF cheese blend, but it’s not even close to getting it in the restaurant. Someone here said OSF uses angel hair pasta, but that’s not true here in the Pacific NW. If I ever make this again I’ll use half the butter and try thin spaghetti.
Thank you for your feedback.
Old Spaghetti Factory uses angel hair pasta, as with any recipe, choose your own noodle to use. Have made this a few times, it is excellent.
Mizithra cheese is not found in my local supermarkets. What might be substituted?
The taste won’t be exactly the same but you could use Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano.
The only place I’ve ever found mizithra cheese was Sprouts…I lived in CA and now n NC and both Sprouts store had ii.
Although I lived in Toronto for many years, I never ate at the Old Superhero Factory. Sound like a delicious meal. That, however, is NOT spaghetti in your video.
Thank you for noting that was spaghetti. Much appreciated. I should have stated I used the noodle that I used.
I wish I could share a pic. This was so yummy. I actually found SF’s mixed cheese at Fry’s. I also roasted up mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. Added some chopped green onions and parsley. Side of country sourdough to dip in olive oil and seasoning. Boy oh boy!! Nom! Nom! Nom!
OMG! It was awesome. Great bump to the recipe!
I miss eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We grew up eating there. I’ve got a couple of pounds of Mizzithra cheese always. Thank God some of stores out here now carry it. Personally, I like that pasta dish without Romano cheese. My Dad would always order for me without it. Also, I don’t mind reheating it. It’s still really good. It’s even good as a cold spaghetti salad. Just add fruit, grapes, strawberries, etc. and a variety of nuts. Many times, I ate it cold. Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe. I’m looking forward to making it soon. And of course I’ll go ahead and add the Romano. As I get older, I’ve realize I enjoy a wide variety of different cheeses. Thank God for this too. Giving me a husband that can cook and not be stuck in a rut cooking the same thing everyday. I’m glad my daughter told me about you. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and recipes. God Bless🥰🥰🥰
Could you freeze this meal?
I think you could if you froze the sauce and the pasta separately, otherwise I would make it fresh when you are ready to eat.
It states in the recipe that this dish does not reheat well.
Congealed butter will separate.
all you have to do to reheat is bring the leftovers to room temp then add a splash or two of chicken stock and reheat mixing every few seconds in the microwave not as good as fresh but certain yummy
So easy and so yummy!!! Way less expensive to make at home for those of us on a budget! 🙂