PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND BLUE CHEESE, EPIRUS STYLE

I came across this recipe on the Saveur website. A little more than a year ago, Saveur magazine published a "Greek Food" issue. I would have purchased it, except I didn't find out about it until months later; I missed out! However, most of the articles and recipes are now on the Internet and trust me, I checked them out thoroughly. 

This pasta with blue cheese is a recipe I was not familiar with, so I decided to try it. It's pasta and sausage in a creamy blue cheese sauce, and it's flavoured with lots of fresh oregano. I found that the tangy-tasting blue cheese brought a nice kick to the dish, complementing the sausage very well. As for the sausage, if you're lucky enough to find Greek sausage, use it. Each Greek region has its own sausage recipes, but generally, most contain pork and lamb and are flavoured with fennel seed, orange peel, garlic, leeks, and wine. If you can't find Greek sausage, substitute with an Italian one, or any other type that you enjoy. Try not to use a variety that's heavily seasoned; allow the kick in this recipe to come from the blue cheese. (Alternatively, you can omit the sausage and turn this into an excellent vegetarian dish)!  

The native name for this recipe is "Makaronia me loukanika kai tyri," which literally translates to "pasta with sausages and cheese." It hails from the province of Epirus, which is a mountainous region in  Northwestern Greece. The shores of Epirus rest on the Ionian Sea, and right across the sea, only a short ferryboat ride away is Italy. Ioannina, a city with a history that dates as far back as 700 CE, is the capital of the province of Epirus. I imagine that this recipe was created in Ioannina or its surroundings because it includes the addition of blue cheese, which is not a traditional Greek-type cheese. The city has always been a busy trading centre so I can see how foreign traders could have introduced the locals to blue cheese. 

Currently, near Ioannina, there is a cheese cooperative that specializes in making Italian and other types of European cheeses. Dairy production, especially cheese making, is a big business in the area.

From a postcard, a lakeshore view of the city of Ioannina surrounded by the Pindos mountain range. 

I've had occasion to visit Ioannina, and I'll never forget the adventure of getting there! First, I should tell you that Ioannina is surrounded by the Pindos mountains, which, at elevations of over 2,500 meters in some places, are the highest mountains in Greece. We had to drive through the Pindos mountain range to reach our destination. For the most part, the road consisted of two narrow lanes running in opposite directions, with nothing such as a median between them. Our car climbed round and round, winding higher and higher and making harrowing, sharp turns that put the fear of God into us. We had some very scenic views of mountain vistas, but we were also concerned about the steep drops which would suddenly appear on either side of the road. Did I mention there were few guard rails? Mishandle the steering wheel, and it would be goodnight and goodbye and down you go, all the way down a sheer, cavernous drop. The terrain reflects the names given to the villages: the place where we stopped to fill up with petrol was named Katara, which means "Curse." The driver of our car was none other than my brother, and in his estimation, the ride was "awesome" and "exhilarating." He knew I found the road dangerous, so he thought it would be funny if, once in a while, he scared me by yelling out, "Oh, no, we're going to die!" I wasn't too amused at the time, but now, as I write this, I can't help but chuckle.

   

This photograph brings back so many memories...  I will never forget the stark beauty of the Pindos range.  By the way, the road appears wider in the picture ... 

Things started looking better when we began to descend the mountain. The road widened, and the city of Ioannina became visible in the distance. I felt such relief that I started singing along with the song playing on the radio, a song that, up until that day, I strongly disliked. Believe it or not, since then, I have been happy to hear it (usually happy to hear it — not all conditioning lasts a lifetime): Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson, Aqualung! 

Part of the Pindos range





I found this photo and the one above it on the Internet. The road is just as I remember it. This is part of the Via Egnatia, initially constructed by the Romans in the second century BCE ... No kidding here: built by the Romans, the Via Egnatia (a continuation of the Via Appia) was a path which reached from Epirus to Byzantium. It has obviously been widened and paved since then. The surrounding areas are abundant with forests and wildlife. This is also a biker's and a hiker's paradise. 

I'd like to ask WHY? Some may say the recent improvements to the road were necessary. I believe this bridge is an eyesore. Sometimes, you've just got to let the mountain win (this is also a photo from the Internet). 

It's been a little more than twenty years since we took that trip. I have been told that today, there is a new, safer highway going through those mountains. It's been constructed with lots of tunnels and bridges to avoid the sharp turns. Also, because of the tunnels, this new highway doesn't have to close down as often during the snowy, icy winter months. As recently as ten years ago, it had been too perilous for traffic to go through during winter, and the road was closed for about a two-month period. 

Epirus is a rugged country, and its folk have been toughened by centuries of hardship.  The cooking is no-nonsense yet versatile; recipes are uncomplicated, consisting of a few key ingredients. Many contain dairy products, which are plentiful because shepherding is a mainstay occupation in the region. The livestock, mostly made up of sheep and goats, graze freely on the large variety of wild grasses, greens, and herbs. Their milk, which carries the taste notes of the various herbs they consume, is used to make excellent cheeses that are popular all over Greece. It's interesting to note that "Dodoni Feta," one of the best brands of feta cheese, is made in Epirus. 

A previous incarnation of Pasta with Sausage and Blue Cheese. The sausage here is sweet Italian sausage. 

Here then is how to make the simple and delicious pasta with blue cheese and sausage Epirus style: 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 ounces Greek or mild Italian sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces. Remove the casing.
8 ounces pasta such as penne, or this curly type I used. What is it called?  I've forgotten its name. 
1/2 cup white wine  
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, plus 1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese to use for garnish
1 clove of garlic, smashed and chopped very well
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves - reserve about 1 tablespoon for garnish.
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Directions:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, then strain. 
• Meanwhile, begin cooking the sausage: heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are browned, about 7 minutes.   
• Add the wine and cook to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by one quarter, about 2 minutes.
• Add the blue cheese, garlic, cream, and oregano, and cook until the mixture is thick and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a small platter and add the grated Parmesan cheese. 
• Season liberally with black pepper and mix. 
• Garnish with the reserved oregano leaves and blue cheese.