Greek Pasta with Feta Sauce

“You’re Italian.”

It wasn’t a question, so I wasn’t sure how to respond. Actually, I’m never really sure how to respond to questions about my origins here in France: some people find it incredulous that we Americans actually care where our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated from–as far as they’re concerned, we’re all Americans.

I guess I had paused too long, because he continued. “Greek? At least Mediterranean…”

The person isn’t of consequence: a boy in a bar like so many others. And the conversation, I suppose, is also like so many others: to anyone looking at me, with dark eyes and olive skin and the dark, curly-wavy hair that is so typical of my background, I’m very obviously of Mediterranean descent. In the summertime, when I’m tanned, I’ve even been asked if I’m Lebanese, but that’s another story for another day.

I’m not Greek. I’m Sicilian. But I have nothing against people assuming I’m Greek. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the two countries: both on trading routes with rich histories and blending of people and cultures and languages and cuisines. And of course, there are the cuisines themselves, which are more similar than one would think: heavy on fish and other seafood with similar spices and herbs that make even dissimilar recipes from the distinct countries seem less like unrelated lists of ingredients and instead like distant cousins.

Peter, who writes Kalofagas posted a recipe a long time ago for Miskotini with Feta, a Greek pasta recipe with a creamy, cheesy sauce made from feta, a sharp cheese with personality and bite, gently melted into cream and pasta water and set against black pepper and oregano. I manipulated the recipe with what I had, using crème fraîche (and less of it) instead of the heavy cream called for, but the effect was the same: a creamy sauce with a bite that went well with a nice, lemony salad.

No, I’m not Greek, but I don’t mind the mistake. Not one bit.

Spaghetti With Feta (adapted from Kalofagas)

500 g. spaghetti
1 clove garlic, minced
200gr. crumbled Feta
1/8 cup crème fraîche
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Boil a large, salted pot of water and add the spaghetti to cook.

Meanwhile, mix crème fraîche and garlic in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the feta and mix it into the mixture until it melts. Cover the pot and remove from the heat.

When the pasta is cooked, reserve some of the starchy water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the saucepan and toss to coat, adding pasta water if necessary. Season with oregano and black pepper and serve immediately.