When choosing my options for my weekly organic vegetable delivery box, what did my eyes see in the specials section? Squid ink pasta. Prior to this moment in time the thought of bringing squid ink pasta into my own home to make a yummy pasta dish tasting of the sea had not occurred to me. I don't know why. You can order squid ink and even make squid ink pasta by hand in your very own kitchen if you are someone who makes pasta by hand in your very own kitchen. But there it was, pre-made by a small batch local company of the puget sound region,ready to be dropped on my doorstep – so I ordered it.
Squid ink pasta is just pasta with cephalopod ink inserted into the egg during the making of the normal pasta recipe. All cephalopod's have ink, and it has been used by humans for things like -surprise! ink and an ingredient in food. In the modern age it is primarily used in pasta and sauces as it adds a salty ocean like flavor and really cool color.
With an entire pound of squid ink pasta at my disposal I wanted to create a yummy seafood and vegetable sauce that would accentuate the best of the pasta. I decided to go with calamari as it seemed appropriate and I happened to have some waiting for me to use. Squid and squid – a win-win combination.
I started with the trifecta of a happy yummy seafood pasta sauce – garlic, onion, and pancetta (or bacon can be used) and I cooked them all in a little bit of butter, white wine and lemon.
Then added salt and pepper, red pepper, green pepper, a canned of diced tomato, fresh parsley and basil and let it simmer down for about 30 minutes.
After cooking it down for about 30 minutes I added the chopped squid and cooked for another ten minutes until the calamari is just cooked but not over cooked.
When everything was ready I topped the squid ink pasta with the calamari red sauce and little bit of parmeasan and crispy roasted cauliflower.
Yummy was the word of the evening.
Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari Red Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp olive oil
4 ounces uncured pancetta
2 tbsp crushed garlic
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup white wine
1 8 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb calamari and tentacles, chopped
1 lb squid ink pasta
Step 1: Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and saute until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes – then add pancetta and cook until everything is bubbling and spattering and the pancetta is slightly browned.
Step 2: Add the green pepper, lemon, and white wine and cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add salt, red pepper, black pepper, tomato, parsley and basil. Stir everything together really well, cover and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook down for another 10 minutes.
Step 4: While the sauce is cooking, chop the calamari, and cook the squid ink pasta according to the directions of your package.
Step 5: Add the calamari to the tomato sauce mixture after it has simmered. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the calamari is just cooked but not over cooked.
Step 6: Serve red sauce over pasta with a little bit of cheese sprinkle.
Enjoy!