Spaghetti à la grecque

A vibrant pasta dish where lemon acidity and roasted coriander seeds wake up the palate. Tomatoes melt into a light sauce while olives provide a firm, salty bite.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 709
• Protein: 21 g
• Carbs: 90 g
• Fat: 29 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti ( dry )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely minced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 100 ml Dry white wine
• 4 piece Round tomato ( diced )
• 60 g Black olive ( pitted )
• 1 tsp Whole coriander seeds ( crushed )
• 1 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( juiced )
• 1 piece Thyme ( whole sprig )
• 1 piece Bay leaf
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black peppercorns ( ground )
• 150 g Feta cheese ( crumbled )

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta

   Plunge the spaghetti into a large amount of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente: they should offer a slight resistance. Reserve a ladle of cooking water before draining.

2. Sauté the aromatics

   In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the minced onion and garlic without browning. Add the crushed coriander seeds, thyme, and bay leaf to release the essential oils.

3. Deglaze and reduce

   Deglaze with the dry white wine. Scrape the bottom to release the juices. Let reduce by half until the alcohol smell disappears and the liquid becomes syrupy.

4. Bind the sauce

   Add the diced tomatoes and black olives. Pour in the lemon juice. Let simmer for 5 minutes: the tomatoes should soften without turning into a puree.

5. Coat and garnish

   Pour the pasta into the skillet. Add a bit of cooking water to bind. Stir vigorously so the sauce coats each spaghetti brilliantly. Fold in the crumbled feta at the last moment to add the final creaminess.

Chef's tips

• Never rinse your pasta, the starch is key to making the sauce stick to the spaghetti.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds for 30 seconds before crushing them to multiply the aroma.

Storage

Keep refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.