At first glance, this colorful pasta dish may not seem revolutionary, but for the people on the Greek island of Ikaria it fully encompasses their life philosophy. Known as the island where “people forget to die,” one in three Ikarian citizens live well into their nineties. What is their secret? Walking everywhere on the island, taking restful naps, and most importantly, eating the freshest food sources from the island’s mild climate.

Getting a taste of life of Ikaria is possible from the comfort of your own kitchen. Though buying linguine, vegetables, and olive oil from your local grocery store (in my case Walmart) may seem too simple for Rachael Ray viewers at home, the culinary experience reveals the peace and ease that define the Ikarian lifestyle. One taste of this light but decadent dish will make you break up with your heavy and bland alfredo sauce and fall in love with the taste of pasta bursting with the bright flavors of arugula, garlic, and tomatoes.
When I interviewed Spyridoula Cheimariou, a native of Athens, Greece, she revealed how much she missed purchasing tomatoes at the farmers’ markets back home. Unlike the tomatoes sold in Greek markets, she said the small tomatoes sold in super stores like Target were not in the same league in terms of taste and texture. Since I did not have the luxury of flying to Greece, I searched for the sweetest and juiciest small red tomatoes sold at my local farmers’ market. While shopping, I learned that the best tomatoes have the strongest tastes therefore, you must seek out the ones with the heaviest, clearest, and reddest appearances. Trust me, when you smell and taste the end result, these tomatoes will become the most scrumptious staples in all of your recipes.

Another reason why this dish is an Ikarian delicacy is for its versatility. If you or your family members have picky palates or unbearable food allergies, feel free to substitute any of these ingredients for other flavorful vegetables and protein sources. Substitutions can range from switching out garlic for other spices such as cumin or even chives. Even changing the main attraction from a conventional whole wheat pasta to a gluten-free version is perfectly fine for satisfying everyone’s nutritional needs. Since most Greek cooks serve oily fish with this dish, anchovies are almost always at the top of the list.

Surely, if you cannot tolerate the smell or taste of anchovies, it does not matter for this recipe. You can simply use any type of meat (chicken, ground turkey, or beef) and other types of fish (shrimp and lobster). For my dish, I decided to cook a small side of tender grass-fed hamburger meat to enjoy an Americanized twist to the Ikarian experience (which also serves as a great alternative for a mom who cannot stand looking at these bony fish). Since healthy meals fuel the long lives of Ikarian citizens, make sure you enjoy your pasta with a grilled protein source your body will thank you for.

To cook this Ikarian delicacy, you need the following ingredients:

Produce:
2 bunches of baby arugula (Make sure to buy baby arugula)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup of small red tomatoes, sliced in half (I recommend buying an organic brand)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (Make sure you buy at least one medium lemon)

1 pound of linguine (I recommend whole wheat pasta for more wholesome nutrition)

Oils/herbs:
6 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (For olive oil virgins, I recommend three tablespoons)
pinch of sea salt (A better source of electrolytes than kosher salt)
pinch of coarse ground pepper

Process:

Before actually cooking the pasta, make sure your vegetables are ready. First, peel off the outer skin of the two garlic cloves. Then, use the sharpest knife, [you trust yourself with], and thinly slice the garlic cloves.

After the garlic cloves are sliced as thin as paper, head straight for the the grater and make some lemon zest.

If you are confused on how to grate your lemon, click on this link and let Gordon Ramsay guide you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLMNP88cqM

 

For some reason you might not have a grater, but don’t worry: there is more than one way to skin a lemon. You can use a microplane, vegetable peeler, a cocktail zester, or the same knife you just used.
For those of you making lemon zest for the first time, I would click on this link to see four demonstrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWmQbPGI8gY

Before moving on, measure out one teaspoon of lemon zest to make sure you have enough.

Next, place your lemon zest to the side and cut the juiciest part of the meal, the tomatoes. Measure out one cup of tomatoes and use the same knife to slice all of them in half. While cutting, you may witness tomato juice bursting out and trying to escape the plate or cutting board, but try to save as much juice as possible

Next, grab two large handfuls of arugula and fit them into a large bowl. The warm and savory taste of arugula mixed with extra virgin olive oil taste should motivate you to fill your bowl to the very top.
This green leafy vegetable is also a nutritious powerhouse that provides our bodies with vitamins A, C, K, and even a small amount of protein.

 

Now that the vegetables are ready for some action, lets start with cooking the garlic in the extra virgin olive oil. Make sure you measure out 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil and pour them gently into the pan. Then, add the garlic and move them around with a spoon so that they slide with the olive oil. Turn your stove to medium-low heat (if you go by numbers on your stove, turn the dial to 5) and cook for five minutes

Right when the garlic starts to sizzle in the pan, start boiling the pasta. Fill up ¾ of a large pot with tap water and boil at medium-low heat (again that would be level 5).
If you are new to the water boiling process, watch this Howcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kieGBkOdyMU

Once the water comes to a boil, take the angel hair pasta, (linguine), into your hands and break the pasta into halves. Then place the pasta carefully in the pot.

Now, the recipe says cook the pasta to al dente, which simply means to boil the pasta enough so that it is cooked, but still firm. Some novice cooks might be confused by this step, so I would cook the pasta for at least 5 and no more than 7 minutes.

Time may vary depending on how much pasta you cook, but this time range is suitable for a pound. Make sure to not abandon and stir the pasta occasionally.

Once the pasta is al dente, measure out four tablespoons of the water and pour them into a separate bowl for later. Once you have the water, strain and drain the entire pound of pasta.

At this point, make sure the garlic is done cooking in olive oil, and place the mixture on a separate bowl or plate. Once the pasta drains, you can either place it back in the pot or move it to a different home like a large bowl or plate.

Now that all of the ingredients are cooked and cut, it’s mixing time! Combine the steamed pasta, remaining olive oil (1-3 tablespoons), arugula, tomatoes, and the cooked garlic in the same bowl or pot. Take a large mixing spoon and combine all of the ingredients. The combination should look similar to the picture below.

After you blend your pasta, vegetables, and olive oil together, add four tablespoons of water in the pot or bowl. The last step is to add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of coarse ground pepper (your guests can always add more if the pasta is not flavorful enough for their taste buds)

Last, but not least, make sure to serve the pasta with a slice of Italian Ciabatta bread and an extra side of extra virgin olive oil.

 

In Greece, food is always tastier when you eat it with your friends and family.
Kalí órexi! (Enjoy!)

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

1. Prepare all of your vegetables:
-Chop two garlic cloves into thin slices
-Grate lemon zest
-Cut red tomatoes
-Place two bunches of arugula into a bowl
2. Measure out 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small, heavy frying pan and add garlic to cook over a medium low heat (level 5 on the stove) for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Bring a large pot of water to full boil and add a pinch of sea salt.
5. Break up the long angel hair pasta (linguine) and add it to the pot, cooking it to al dente (cooked but still firm) and drain, reserving 4 tablespoons of water.
6. Combine the steaming hot pasta, arugula, remaining olive oil (1-3 tablespoons), tomatoes, cooked garlic and then mix.
7. Stir the combination in a full clockwise motion at least three times and then add lemon zest, additional salt and pepper and serve

Want Diane’s version of the recipe?
Click here https://www.dianekochilas.com/linguine-with-wilted-arugula-anchovies-and-chilli-peppers/