Hilopites with Sausages & Eggs

Hilopites are one of Greece's most traditional pastas, usually made with flour or semolina, fresh eggs, milk, and salt. In the old villages, making hilopites was often a summer tradition. After the grain harvest, when fresh milk and eggs were plentiful, women would gather together to prepare large sheets of dough, roll them out by hand, cut them into small pieces, and leave them to dry. Once dried, the pasta could be stored for months, giving families a simple, filling meal throughout the year. As you travel across Greece, the tradition changes in shape, name, and even recipe. In the Peloponnese, you'll find toutoumakia, while on Lemnos they're known as flomaria. On Rhodes, there is matsi, traditionally made simply with flour and water — another example of how each region adapted its pasta to the ingredients available. Hilopites could be served simply with butter and grated cheese, added to soups, or cooked alongside chicken, rooster, or beef in a rich tomato sauce.