Up until the 1960s Mykonos was a relatively poor island, it’s regional specialities consisting of a few special dishes such as onion pie, simply boiled black eye-peas, a few pork dishes and mostra rusks topped with a spicy local kopanisti cheese, tomato and olive oil. Waves of tourism have changed Mykonian gastronomy with tavernas offering modern and multicultural dishes. If you avoid the ‘tourist-trap’ tavernas, there are wonderful places on Mykonos using superb local produce in modern ways. One such discovery on our last trip was this special “clean Monday’ lenten pasta using fresh king prawns, cherry tomatoes, local wine and loads of garlic!
GARIDOMAKARONIA (KING PRAWN PASTA)
Γαριδομακαρονάδα
Ingredients
- 1/4 tea cup EVOO
- 1 head of garlic peeled and sliced
- 1/2 kg fresh king prawns
- 250 g cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 wine glass 100ml white wine
- 1 tbs Greek tomato paste
- 1 tbs Mama’s chilli puree optional
- Sea salt and white pepper to taste
- 250 g spaghetti I use Misko no.7
- To serve
- Fresh basil leaves
- Pecorino
Instructions
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Clean the prawns well, leaving the head and tail intact, but peeling the middle section of the shell and removing the intestine track. Set aside the cleaned prawns.
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In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the sliced garlic. Allow the garlic to caramelise slowly but not burn. Add the quartered cherry tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes Then add the wine, and allow the alcohol to cook off. Next, add the tomato and chilli paste, stir well to combine and add a splash of warm water. Allow the sauce to simmer slowly for 20 minutes.
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While the sauce is halfway through simmering, add the pasta to boiling salted water and bring to the boil. Cook according to packet instructions - the misko no.7 pasta I use takes 8-10 minutes.
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While the pasta is cooking, add the cleaned prawns to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the prawns are just tender. Season to taste. Finally, add the “al dente” cooked pasta to the prawns and toss gently through the sauce to combine. Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of olive oil, torn basil leaves and grated pecorino.
