Crayfish Spaghetti: A perfect dish to share with friends for a fishy Sunday lunch and a fabulous, super easy meal to make on Christmas eve. Ideally, make the sauce in advance, and then cook the spaghetti and crayfish (Μακαρονάδα με καραβίδες) just before you want to serve.

Fresh and Spicy

If you can, buy as fresh as possible and if you need to buy frozen, make sure they are thoroughly defrosted and dried. Equally, you can use large prawns or even shrimps. Adjust cooking times. My inspiration has come from many happy hours enjoying karavides in all the excellent tavernas here in Pelion. The result is probably a little spicier than is traditional, but you can adjust it according to your taste. It is not complicated to make, but the key to a great-tasting sauce is to infuse it with the crayfish flavour, we often buy a few small shrimps to help this along, or you could sacrifice one of your precious crayfish.

To Peel or not to Peel?

It is a sharing dish; half the fun is peeling the crayfish as you go along. However, you may decide your guests disagree. So, as an alternative, peel them, and use the shells to make a broth to flavour your sauce. Crush the shells and saute with an onion, add water (just enough to cover), bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the broth instead of water to the tomatoes. Cook the peeled shellfish, as per the recipe, for a little shorter time.

Traditionally, the Crayfish Spaghetti recipe has a healthy dash of Tsiporo, but white wine is equally as delicious. I think this recipe’s beauty is you can be as extravagant or careful as you like; the tomato sauce and spaghetti infused with the shellfish’s flavour is delicious; add as many karavides as your budget allows. Give time to your sauce to get it just right, and the rest is easy.

Buy Sustainably from a Reputable Source

Although it is a firm fasting favourite, you can enjoy karavides all year round, except during the breeding season; please be sure to consume responsibly, respecting the minimum catch size.

For similar dishes, check out our Fish and Shellfish recipes.