Makarounes Karpathou

Ingredients

• 400g plain flour, or 200g plain and 200g fine durum semolina
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml warm water
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced, about 700g
• 80g butter, ideally sheep's butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, for the onions
• 200g sitaka, or grated hard mizithra, anari or kefalotyri
• Freshly ground black pepper

Before you cook

• Slice the onions thinly and evenly.
• Grate the cheese and keep it at room temperature.
• Dust a large tray with flour, ready for the shaped pasta.

Steps

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Pour in the warm water a little at a time and mix to a firm, stiff dough.
3. Knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
4. Cover the dough and rest it for 30 minutes.
5. Roll a piece of dough into a rope about as thick as a pencil.
6. Cut the rope into 3cm lengths.
7. Press each length with two fingers and drag it down the worktop so it curls into a hollow tube.
8. Lay the shaped pasta on the floured tray and shape the rest of the dough the same way.
9. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat.
10. Add the onions and the teaspoon of salt.
11. Cook them gently for 30 minutes, stirring often, until they collapse into a sweet brown jam.
12. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
13. Drop in the makarounes and cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender right through with no chalky centre.
14. Scoop the pasta out with a slotted spoon, saving a cupful of the cooking water.
15. Toss the pasta with half the onions, loosening it with a splash of the cooking water.
16. Pile it into bowls, spoon the remaining buttery onions over the top and bury it under the grated cheese and black pepper.