My parents, who come from towns in Florina prefecture, would make this dish with Keftedes or in this case, chicken. Both proteins affordable and complementary to such a rustic dish.

It’s an easy dish to prepare but in keeping with Greek cooking philosophy, use quality ingredients and they will speak for themselves.

Good chicken, ripe tomatoes (or quality canned/jarred), greek hilopites (egg noodles you can buy at Greek specialty shops, Greek olive oil and lots of onions.

Onions are key to this dish, offering a sweet and savory component that makes this dish delicious beyond a mere reading of this list of ingredients.

Chicken With Hilopites 

(serves 4-6)

4 chicken quarters (thigh/leg attached)

approx 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cups of chicken stick
2 cups sliced onion
1 sweet banana pepper, fine dice
1 cup of tomato passata (2 cups if using fresh grated tomatoes)
2 cups of Hilopites (square cut egg noodles)
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese (Kefalotyri, Dry Mizithra or Manouri)

1. Rinse and pat-dry your chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in in flour and reserve.
2. In a large pot, add your olive oil to medium-high heat and brown your chicken in batches, reserve.
3. In the same pot, add some stock and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add your onions and peppers and sweat for 7-10 minutes to soften.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce, your remaining stock, chicken and and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
5. Add the pasta, stir in and simmer uncovered (stirring on occasion) for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with grated cheese.