Today, I’m not even offering up a translation of the title in English. The photos speak for themselves.
What you have here is the essence of where I spend my vacations in Greece…Halkidiki. This pasta is an ode to the summer…summers in Greece, summer in the Mediterranean…summer anywhere you may be spending it this year.
Take advantage of the warm weather, eat outside, invite friends over for food, drink and have lots of laughter. Invite the kids along. Is there anything better than the sound of kids playing, screaming, fighting in the background?
Put away those winter clothes, the boots, the scarves, the long johns. Pull out the shorts, the bathing suits, the sun-tan lotion. Go pick up some beer, wine and any liquor that’s needed to make your favourite cocktails.
Go to the open markets, touch the produce, get up close & personal with the meat and seafood. Think of the possibilities. Think of how you can transform these raw materials through the magic of your imagination into victual delights.I did just that yesterday.
My trip to Greece is coming together nicely. It will be a busy vacation but it will still be relaxation for me. I don’t have any set itinerary but I do have a loose agenda of what I want to do & see this summer.
My vacation doesn’t begin in another two months but one can anticipate can’t I? I’m sharing a favourite dish of mine and I can’t claim it as my own but it is a favourite of mine and likely all around the Mediterranean.
ΜακαÏονάδα με θαλασσινά is simply “pasta with seafood” and here I’m using ingredients that are found in Greece…right down to the spaghetti. Here, I’m using the King of Greek pasta, Misko Spaghetti #5, with the hole in them! This particular pasta rocks because sauce gets inside the spaghetti…deeee-licious!
The next time you’re having seafood, let their flavours shine. Choose ingredients that complement the seafood – not cover it.
ΜακαÏονάδα με θαλασσινά
(for 4)
1/3 olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 small red onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of mussels, cleaned, scrubbed and de-bearded
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. red chilli flakes (Boukovo)
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 package of Misko spaghetti #5
- Get a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and cook your pasta according to package’s instructions.
- In a bowl, toss your shrimp with the smoked paprika and salt.
- In a large skillet, heat up your olive oil and butter over medium-high heat heat. Add the shrimp and do a quick saute until the shrimp have just turned pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve in large bowl.
- Now add your diced onions, garlic and saute for a minute. Now add your mussels and wine and turn to to high. Place the cover on and and allow your mussels to steam for 5-7 minutes or until they’ve opened. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
- Remove your mussels and add to the large bowl with the shrimp (cover to keep warm).
- When your pasta is cooked to “al dente”, strain the spaghetti (reserve some pasta liquid) and it to your skillet with the sauce along with the shrimp and mussels, lemon juice and zest, chilli flakes and parsley.
- Toss your pasta to incorporate and add some reserved pasta water if the sauce is too dry.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy!
53 Responses
Peter that looks so good. I may have to leave pool side today and get some shrimp from my shrimp guys! I will use clams in place of the mussels but it should still taste good!
Peter I am making your walnut cake at the moment, i added 10 whole eggs with the 10 tbsp of sugar.
It looks a bit wattery.
Did you mean egg yolk or whole eggs.
I hope you see the comment soon otherwise i will see how the egg mixture goes.
Happy, it’s whole eggs and if you have a question, please email me directly…link is in the blog.
Thankyou i just mailed you
Simple yet delicious! Nice one, Peter, no wonder it’s one of your favorites!
Oooh – I want that pasta with the holes in! I love seafood and your recipe looks so good…..
(And you didn’t need a blowtorch lol) Take no notice everyone – it’s a joke between us!
Ε!!! αντε πια, αντε πια. Πειναω λεμε και ειμαι στο γÏαφειο! Γελασα με τα λαχανικα που λες να τα πιανουμε. Εγω μυÏιζω τα φÏουτα Ï€Ïιν τα παÏω και με κοιτανε καλα καλα! Γεια σου Î Î·Ï„ÎµÏ Î¼Î¿Ï…!
I love simple dishes like this that really highlight the seafood.
Wow! That looks like beach in a bowl!
Peter — This reminds me of some good times with my cousins in Kalamata. They would take me to a great restaurant by the beach for supper — at around midnight! That’s the first time I had this dish and wow did I gorge on it!
Have you starched your speedo for your trip to Greece yet? ha ha
Paul
Yummy, Peter. The freshest possible seafood in a light sauce over pasta is my idea of good eating!
I love shellfish and pasta. And a nice chiiled bottle of white wine, I’m good to go!
perfection
stop torturing me
Judy, you’re gonna get it…I’ll rub it in when I’m in Greece.
Happy, I’m glad the cake’s turning out.
Lulu, it’s nostimotato!
Jan, the beauty of this pasta is that the sauce gets in the middle…say FLAVOUR!
Despoina…ela sto Toronto…tha se kano trapezi h stn Ellada fetos.
Jen, this is one of my fave pasta dishes.
LOL @ Pam…luv it!
Paul…sounds like good times. As for the Speedo..nah, I just let all hang out! lol
Laurie, this hits the spot during those hot greek summers.
Glam, why just 1 bottle?
CEF…next time I’ll have an extra table setting for you. ;)
Peter, when you put it like that summer doesn’t look as bad or miserable :-p Alcohol is always needed to survive the summers over here. And that pasta looks deliciosa! We want to see lots of pictures of your vacation :)
Peter, this looks wonderful. I love the colours it is so tempting. The pictures really do speak for themselves you are right. :-)
Nice blog! I am loving all these Greek recipes.
If this post had a link to click for a plane ticket to Greece, I would be heading there right this minute! The photos are mouthwatering.
Love this post, but you are killing me here—featuring so many of my favorite foods recently (you know it’s bad when a food blog actually makes your stomach growl and you’ve already eaten!)
I make a dish sooo divinely similar to this—and yours looks every bit as desirable and delicious.
I nearly picked up some mussels at the market today, but decided to wait for the weekend. I’ll give your version a try instead, as I have no reason to doubt it’s anything but delectable. (God help me, I’m a sucker for mussels & shrimp with pasta!)
That top photograph has the summer and mediterranean in it! And what a dish…I can already lick my fingers. This is a keeper for this summer.
ronell
sorry I posted under the wrong name above..
ronell
A picture really is worth a thousand words, huh, Peter? That looks sensational!
Peter look yummy and wonderful!!! and I love the pictures!! This church is in Greece??? xxxGloria
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
As I am reading this, it is 5 in the morning and it is raining so hard, that I cannot hear my fingers typing on the keyboard. I am amazed by the Misko spaghetti and will have to go on a witch hunt for it. As for the whole meal…do I have to wait for summer? I think this food could warm me up.
I love that pasta. It’s the thickness of udon, but hollow! Perfect shellfish, too, Peter.
You forgot to include in your recipe to serve with a whole loaf of bread for soppage.
oh peter this pasta dish just made my day..we have a very very bad weather here in southern france..its normally sunny and blue skies but this past few weeks its only rain and cloudy sky :-( watching this dish makes me think of blue skied Mediterranean :-)
Beautiful. I used to love those ‘spaghetti’ as a kid as they are so messy to eat! In Germany we call the macaroni.
I’ve never seen this spaghetti – another first for me – the idea of the sauce filling the pasta does it for me and of course my very favourite pasta is seafood pasta. Nice to see you used a decent sized shrimp in this dish too.
Looks fantastic as always… great tip on using the hollow spaghetti.
Hola Peter! This pasta is fun!!! Lovely dish… All Mediterranean countries have seafood and pasta combined…. MMmmm sooooooo good. I had some today but with short and non-holed noodles :D
Seems that you are getting in the mood for packing!!!
Outstandingly beautiful, as always, Peter… Here’s a little award for you (sorry — it’s not a meme ;-P)
http://gato-azul.blogspot.com/2008/05/deux-mentions-et-cinq-nominations-two.html
All I need is some crusty bread to sop up that flavorful sauce! The smoked paprika sounds like a great addition, something new I’ll have to try. ( I bought a can and have only used it twice). Peter, Your spaghetti looks just like our Bucatini thick and hollow!
Looks great! Cool spaghetti too!
That meal would do for a Friday night with some wine.
We’re definitely living up the warm weather here while it’s still clear and less smoggy. In another month or two, the air quality will definitely change. :(.
Gosh, I love pasta with seafood, just like this! And we can’t wait to read all your posts when you’re finally on vacation to Greece!
I usually stay off mussels in Greece. Many people have had food poisoning from them. They are really tasty though, especially with pasta! Lovely picture.
Ben, there will lots to blog about in this year’s Greek vacation.
Hi Jeena, nice to see you!
Lisa, welcome…enjoy!
Lydia, I bring Greece to you!
Sandie, I never tire of this pasta dish. Always some twists but the basic recipe lasts.
French Kitchen, no probs.
Susan, it was deelicious!
Gloria, there are “little churches” all over Greece’s roadsides.
Nina, if you get a warm spell…make this pasta dish…nice way to hang onto to summer.
Heather, there was no bread here…I gave myself a larger portion!
Dhanngit, perhpas the weather’s better now and you can enjoy this dish sitting outside.
Sylvie, it’s one of my fave types of pasta.
Giz, easily availalble here in TO.
Fearless, it was so flavourful!
Nuria, if I could leave now, I would…people are swimming already!
Gato, merci…coming to collect soon!
Marie, it’s one of my fave spices, works real well with shrimp.
Thanks Jessy!
Helene, oui..a Friday evening meal.
White Rice, the Greece report will be upon my arrival back in Canada…blogging in a Greek internet cafe does not make for a vacation.
Johanna, I’ve never gotten ill from mussels in Greece. Like anywhere, know your sources.
Moules season… almost here…almost! Maybe next week.
Looks delicious!
Ooh, I love dishes where you can get your hands dirty. Gorgeous plate, Peter, and you’re right: No translation needed!
Peter I want to tell you, I love you ALWAYS answer when we comment is really so nice!!!!Have a lovely weekend or Sunday, really love this Church!! x Gloria
Mussels with pasta – fantastic!!!
Yep, I agree with the proud Italian Cook – that’s bucatini, which is far easier to find here in the states. Nice looking dish of seafood there – do you ever serve it without the shells?
Katie, aren’t mussels the best?
Angela, yes…this dish requires fork and fingers!
Gloria, you’re very welcome…always so kind.
Hank, if you want to use Bucantini, be my guest but Misko is big and relatively easy to find. As for the shells, it looks better and proves one has used fresh seafood. Get in there Hank and use your hands!