Saltsa Fetas

FETA CHEESE SAUCE

makes about 3 cups (720 ml)

This is a standby in my home kitchen, an easy, rich, and elegant sauce to pour over pasta for a quick meal or to serve with meatballs and vegetable fritters. You can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it refrigerated in a tight-lidded jar for 2 to 3 days.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin Greek olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups (480 ml) milk

1½ cups (225 g) crumbled Greek feta

½ cup (55 g) grated kasseri or other soft, mild sheep’s-milk cheese

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (25 g) chopped fresh mint or basil

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wire whisk until the mixture is a very light yellow-beige color, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and cook, whisking continuously, for about 7 minutes, until slightly thickened and smooth.

Add the cheeses and lemon zest and season with pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking gently, until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the mint, then immediately remove from the heat.