Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and a Cenote!

Mexico Part 3: My throwback to my Mexico trip wouldn’t be complete without another picture of Octopus!

This carpaccio de pulpo from Indigo Beach Club  in Playa del Carmen looks out of this world doesn’t it? Especially with the pineapple pieces and a little spicy kick from the sauce. So much yum! Lunch with a beach view is probably one of my favorite pastimes.

What’s fun about the beach in Playa del Carmen is it takes you on adventures. After our visit to the beach club, we took ourselves on a leisurely stroll along the sand until we ended up, sort of by accident, at the ferry terminal to Cozumel. Visiting the island hadn’t been in our plans for the day, but since we were at the ferry and it was leaving in 15 minutes, why not?

In Cozumel, we sipped on margaritas at a cantina along the waterfront, watched the last cruise ship take off, and researched restaurants to visit. Our choice: Kondesa. Their lovely garden setting combined with perfectly cooked seafood made for a special evening!

Although… that doesn’t mean we didn’t have to run back to the ferry  😂 The last ferry was scheduled to leave around 10pm and I think we made it there with one minute to spare.

A trip to the Yucatan wouldn’t be complete without visiting a cenote and that we did! My last pictures are of Cenote Azul, which are a quick taxi ride from Playa del Carmen. Cenotes are natural pools filled with fresh water and are of course, great for swimming! It was fun spending a few hours there and swimming with a few fish as well!

I bet you want to visit Mexico now! I know I definitely want to go back soon!

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If you loved this post, you will love my other posts about my visit to the Yucatan. Check out Playa del Carmen or Bust and Tulum: Coastal Cliffs, Centuries-old Ruins, and Octopus. Oh my!

Surf & Turf Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra)

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How do you make your favorite pancetta or bacon pasta healthier? By adding seafood and plenty of vegetables to it, of course! 

For flavor (and to hit the spot!), this Surf and Turf Spaghetti has just a touch of pancetta, but delivers a nutritional punch with an amazing amount of garlic, plenty of fennel and cherry tomatoes, and for an omega-3 boost, shrimp and octopus. Just check out my nutritional analysis below the recipe. 

Each serving comes with a reasonable 550 calories and almost half of your vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Not bad, right? Pasta doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure after all! 

Adrian decided that we’d call this one Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra because he’s cute like that. Somehow he still remembers Italian from studying abroad in Florence over a decade ago. I wish I had that memory, but at least I can rely on his when we're overseas!

Surf & Turf Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra)

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
¾ lb spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 oz pancetta, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
10-12 dried birdseye chili peppers, briefly toasted, roughly chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 medium fennel bulbs, cored, cut into thin wedges
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups (16 oz) chicken broth
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped, divided
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
2 (4 oz) cans octopus in olive oil
1 ¼ cups Parmesan Reggiano, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garlic-infused olive oil, to finish (optional)

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot. 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until lightly browned. Transfer pancetta to paper towels and set aside. 

To the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chilies, and fennel seeds, scraping up any browned pancetta bits, and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add fennel wedges and sauté until soft, 6 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, and cook gently for 4 more minutes. Then stir in broth, shrimp, 2 tbsp parsley, and juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half. 

Add reserved spaghetti to the fennel mixture and stir in octopus and its oil, cooking until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the pancetta, half the parmesan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on plates or in shallow bowls garnished with remaining parsley, parmesan, lemon zest, and drizzled lemon juice and garlic-infused olive oil. 

Nutrition Analysis Per Serving: 550 Calories, 17g fat (5g saturated), 60g carbs, 7g fiber, 55g protein, 45% vitamin A, 50% vitamin C, 40% calcium, 40% iron