A few days ago, I had posted a rare dessert recipe which called for using up leftover Melomakarona to make a cheesecake. One commenter observed that I don’t make desserts often but when I do…I go BIG!

I think it’s safe to say most Greek families are more reserved when it comes to desserts. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we have a sweet tooth just like any other ethnicity and our cuisine is loaded with many delicious sweets but as Greeks, we just don’t do dessert each day.

The Greek cuisine is all about seasonal, quality ingredients and be it summer or winter, an array of seasonal fruit is usually what appears on the the dinner table, post-geuma.

Enough of desserts, a segue from fruits to fruits de mer or…seafood. Regular readers of my blog know I love seafood. Were it not for my parents’ splurging on a summer home by the beach in Greece, I doubt I’d love seafood as much as I do now.

With some caution to your shopping habits, you can make smart choices about the food you eat, including your diet of seafood from sustainablee sources.

I’m a big proponent of fresh fish and seafood and the best seafood is the freshest seafood. There are however some decent preserved fish and seafood products like tins of tuna, salmon and sardines, some frozen fish fillets can do the trick and that once dreaded frozen “seafood medley” also falls under the category of a good, cheap source of seafood.

I have used the seafood medley in one other instance in my blog but this time I’ve opted for cleaner, leaner sauce than the roasted red pepper treatment of the other dish. Don’t get be wrong, I love roasted red peppers and smoked paprika but this pasta dish smells of the sea and frankly, reminds of the many quick pasta dishes I’d whip up for lunch during those hot summer days in Greece. The kitchen can be a sweltering place to hang out during the Greek summer.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a pasta dish, I’m hungry. Go grab a notepad, get a can of chopped plum tomatoes, thaw a package of  frozen seafood, some onions, garlic, dry white wine and some Greek oregano (fresh or dried).

A quick dinner is on the menu, it’s filling, it’s cheap and it’ll transport you to that “al fresco” lunch I enjoy on those hot Greek summer days.

Seafood Pasta (Mακαρόνια με θαλασσινά)

serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can of plum tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

(or 1 Tbsp. dried Greek oregano)

1 400gr. pkge. of frozen seafood medly

(thawed)

approx. 400gr. of penne rigate

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of Greek Boukovo (or chilli flakes)

1. Get a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and cooking your penne according to instructions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add your onions and garlic and reduce to medium and saute for about 5-7 minutes or until softened. Pour the wine into the pan and simmer until for a couple of minutes. Now add your tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium and and simmer until most of the water has evaporated and you’re left with a good, chunky sauce.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the seafood medley to the sauce. Take off the heat, cover and keep warm. As soon as your pasta is ready (al dente), drain it and add the pasta to your waiting sauce along with your parsley and oregano
4. . Toss the pasta with the sauce for a couple of minutes and divide and serve into four bowls. Sprinkle some Greek Boukovo (chilli flakes) and serve.

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© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis