Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Calamari

❤️Why we love this recipe

• Quick and easy. Cook up squid quickly in the oven, while you make a tasty homemade tomato sauce on the stove. Add in the cooked pasta, and voila! You can add toasted breadcrumbs if you like, as it's quick and easy and only takes a few extra seconds.
• Stunning black pasta. This recipe is stunning for both special occasions but is simple to whip up for every day. You may even enjoy serving this dish for Halloween parties!
• Full of flavor. This dish has it all! Lemony, spicy, and herbaceous with a hint of the sea. The flavors are complex all while being made with simple ingredients.

✨Substitutions

• Swap the cooking oil. Use avocado oil, or butter instead.
• Unsalted butter. You can substitute butter entirely for oil if you'd like. The butter does add such a lovely creaminess to this dish, so we do recommend using it.
• Alcohol-free. If you'd like a non-alcoholic version, you can use chicken or seafood stock in place of white wine.
• Canned tomatoes. We use fresh tomatoes when they are sweet and in season, but you can also use high-quality canned tomatoes (affiliate link), tomato paste, or store bought red sauce.
• No shallots. You can use yellow onion if you'd like instead of shallots.

✨Variations

• Add more seafood. You can add any seafood of your preference. Shrimp, scallops, clams, or mussels would be the perfect addition to this pasta!
• Make a creamy sauce. Add a splash of heavy cream or half and half plus a little extra parmesan to the tomato sauce to turn the sauce into something a little creamy.
• Add mushrooms. Experiment with adding cremini, portobello, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms to add more flavor and texture to the dish!
• Dairy free. Use olive oil, and skip the added parmesan.
• Adjust the spice level. Love spicy foods? Try adding a tablespoon of crushed Calabrian chilis (affiliate link) or some extra red pepper flakes.

📋Prep work

• Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil.
• Mince garlic.
• Cut shallots into thin strips or dice.
• Halve cherry tomatoes.
• Defrost the calamari in cold water if frozen, or overnight in the fridge. Before cooking, dry it off with paper towels.
• Zest and juice the lemons.
• Grate parmesan.
• Chop parsley.
• Preheat the oven to 475°F, with a baking sheet inside (we will add the calamari to this pan later).

📖Instructions

Marinate the Squid

In a large bowl, add calamari, some lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. (Image 1)

Set aside to marinate for 5-10 while you prepare the breadcrumbs. (Image 2)

Toast the Breadcrumbs (optional)

In a skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the panko breadcrumbs, and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes. (Image 3).

You want to keep the breadcrumbs moving around the pan to ensure they don't burn. Once the breadcrumbs are golden, remove the skillet from the heat right away.

Add a pinch of minced parsley and salt. Remove from the skillet and set aside. (Image 4)

Cook the Calamari

Add calamari to the hot baking sheet. Don't worry, your sheet will sizzle and the pan may warp a bit momentarily. (Image 5)

Roast for 8-10 minutes. Set aside. (Image 6)

🍝Meanwhile, prepare the pasta. Add salt to boiling water. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Make sure to save at least 2 cups of pasta water, as you will need it later. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.

Make the Sauce

Meanwhile, while the calamari is roasting, start the sauce.

In the same skillet, melt butter. Add remaining minced garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add shallots and halved tomatoes with a good pinch of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and remaining oregano. Cook for 4-5 minutes to allow tomatoes to soften. (Image 7)

Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Add in fresh basil. Bring to a boil, and boil for roughly 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to thicken. (Image 8)

Assemble

Add pasta, the cooked calamari (with all of the pan juices), and some of the pasta water. Toss to combine. (Image 9)

Serve and Enjoy

Add to a large serving plate. Top with breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, basil, and parmesan. Enjoy! (Image 10)

✨Tips & tricks

• Make every ingredient count. This dish is made up of simple ingredients to develop delicious flavor, use fresh garlic, shallots, and in-season tomatoes whenever possible.
• Cook pasta al dente. Make sure to not overcook your pasta! No one likes soggy pasta. Cooking the pasta al dente will make sure it holds up well once the sauce is added. The time needed heavily depends on the brand and type of pasta you use, so make sure to read the provided instructions from the package.
• Don't forget to heavily salt the water! Make sure you add plenty of salt (think at least 2 tablespoons of kosher salt) to the pasta water. This will ensure there is some flavor injected into the pasta itself.
• Don't skip marinating the squid aka the calamari. This really helps ensure that it's nice and tender. Squid can get a little tough, so marinating it really helps with that. Plus, it adds a ton of flavor to the squid, and the liquid that we add to the pasta after the squid cooks.
• Don't overcook the squid. Squid cooks very quickly, so it doesn't need much time in the oven. Overcooking will cause the squid to become rubbery.

🍴Serving Suggestions

• Appetizers. If you're going for an Italian theme to this meal, and want to start out with some delicious appetizers, try serving this recipe with these marinated mozzarella balls, this whipped ricotta, or this Italian antipasto platter! You may even enjoy making this spicy Italian grinder sandwich to share.
• Salad. You can't go wrong with a simple arugula and spinach salad. Try serving it with this honey lemon vinaigrette or this creamy balsamic dressing.
• Bread. There's nothing like a crusty baguette to serve with this dish. Pasta and bread are a perfect match!
• Veggies. This green bean feta salad, these lemon garlic green beans, this Italian green bean salad, and this cold asparagus salad would all pair perfectly with this dish. They are all vibrant, citrusy, and crisp - which is a great contrast to the rich pasta.
• A glass of crisp white wine. A buttery (and non-oaky) Chardonnay, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio pair perfectly with these rich and luscious lobster tails!

💭Frequently asked questions