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A hand holding a fork in a plate with Greek garlic pasta.

Greek Past Dish with Garlic

Sylia
This traditional Greek garlic pasta dish is called skordolazana and comes from the island of Milos. It has everything you crave for a satisfying pasta dish, offering a perfect balance of health and flavor.
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Prep Time 18 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound (500g) tagliatelle or other long pasta*1

FOR THE GARLIC PASTE

  • Crumb from 2-3 slices of stale bread
  • ½ cup (120ml) water
  • 3 cloves garlic*2
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
  • A pinch of salt

FOR THE FLOUR PORRIDGE

  • 1¾ cups (400ml) water
  • ⅔ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup (140g) tomato paste
  • ½ cup (120ml) water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice or 5 allspice berries

Instructions
 

MAKE THE GARLIC PASTE

  • Pour in the water in a small bowl and soak the breadcrumbs for a few seconds. Squeeze with your hands to remove moisture.
  • In a food processor, add the soaked bread, the garlic clove(s), and a pinch of salt. Pulse until blended and garlic is fully incorporated.

MAKE THE FLOUR PORRIDGE

  • In a small saucepan, mix the water with the flour over medium heat until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

ASSEMBLE THE GARLIC PASTE AND THE FLOUR PORRIDGE

  • Stir the garlic paste in the flour porridge. Add olive oil and vinegar. Use a whisker to incorporate all ingredients up to 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE

  • In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the tomato paste, stirring until fragrant. Add the water, allspice, and bay leaves, and stir until the tomato sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

MAKE THE PASTA

  • In a deep pot, heat plenty of salted water and boil the tagliatelle (or the pasta of your choice) until al dente. Pasta needs to be slightly firm to the bite because it will continue to cook once coated with the sauce in the skillet.

ASSEMBLE THE GARLIC SAUCE

  • Meanwhile, assemble the garlic sauce. Add the garlic paste-flour porridge mixture in the skillet with the tomato sauce over low-medium heat. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper (if needed).
  • Reduce the heat to low. We need to mix everything for 2 minutes (neither simmer nor boil). Turn off the heat but let the skillet on the stove to keep the sauce hot.

SAUCE THE PASTA IN THE SKILLET

  • When the pasta is ready, remove the pot with the pasta from heat and place it near the skillet with the garlic sauce. Turn on the stove over low heat.
  • Use a pasta fork (or a set of tongs or a simple fork) to transfer cooked pasta to the garlic sauce. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Most likely you won’t need to add more pasta water. Stir and toss for a couple of minutes until desired texture. Serve immediately.  
  • In case there is pasta water left in the skillet, simmer, stirring and tossing the pasta constantly (be careful not to stick to the bottom) until it gets the perfect saucy texture. Serve immediately.  

Notes

  1. Linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle, bucatini, etc
  2. If you want to reduce garlic intensity start using 1 big clove or 2 small cloves.
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