Hilopites with Tomato Sauce (Χυλοπίτες με Σάλτσα)
Chewy little squares of egg-and-milk pasta simmered right in a garlicky tomato sauce until they soak up all its flavour, then showered with grated hard cheese. A humble Greek side that often steals the whole meal.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soften the onion
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over low-medium heat. Add the grated onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until it turns soft and sweet-smelling but does not brown. Grating the onion lets it melt into the sauce instead of leaving chunky pieces.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion
✅ Done when: the onion is translucent, soft and smells sweet, not golden or crisp
Bloom the garlic and paste
Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, just until the paste darkens slightly and smells rich. This short toasting step deepens the tomato flavour; do not let the garlic turn brown or it will taste bitter.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
✅ Done when: the tomato paste has darkened a shade and smells toasty, garlic is fragrant but pale
Build the sauce
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Cook pasta in sauce
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Rest off the heat
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Serve
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Soften the onion
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over low-medium heat. Add the grated onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until it turns soft and sweet-smelling but does not brown. Grating the onion lets it melt into the sauce instead of leaving chunky pieces.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion
✅ Done when: the onion is translucent, soft and smells sweet, not golden or crisp
Bloom the garlic and paste
Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, just until the paste darkens slightly and smells rich. This short toasting step deepens the tomato flavour; do not let the garlic turn brown or it will taste bitter.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
✅ Done when: the tomato paste has darkened a shade and smells toasty, garlic is fragrant but pale
Build the sauce
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Cook pasta in sauce
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Rest off the heat
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Long before packaged pasta reached Greek village kitchens, women rolled dough made from flour, eggs and milk, cut it into small squares, and spread it on cloths to dry in the sun. These homemade hilopites were stored for the winter months and cooked in broths, with butter and cheese, or simmered in a simple tomato sauce whenever a quick, filling meal was needed.
The tomato version became a staple side dish across the Greek mainland, especially once canned and bottled tomatoes made a good sauce possible all year round. It is still the kind of dish grandmothers make without measuring, judging the sauce by eye.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It turns a handful of pantry staples into something deeply comforting: the thick, chewy pasta soaks up a bright, garlicky tomato sauce, and a generous dusting of hard cheese ties it all together.
💡 Fun Fact
The name hilopites likely comes from the way the dough was once worked and cut, and village cooks took pride in rolling it thin enough to dry quickly yet thick enough to stay chewy once boiled.
Thessaly and Epirus, Greece
39.64°N, 22.42°E
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