Squid Ink Pasta with Calarmari
Squid Ink Pasta in a super delicious Spicy Anchovy Tomato sauce with tender pieces of calamari. This pasta dish is sure to impress!
Ingredients
- 400 gm dried squid ink pasta (NOTE 1)
- 500 gm squid (cleaned and cut into 1cm/0.4in slices) (NOTE 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (mild or light)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small brown/yellow onion (finely diced)
- 4 anchovy fillets (drained and chopped)
- 200 gm cherry tomatoes (or any small tomatoes, halved)
- 2 small birds eye chilli (omit, or adjust to taste, sliced finely)
- 700 ml passata (tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes) (NOTE 3)
- ½ cup salt-reduced chicken or fish stock (125ml/4 fl oz) (NOTE 4)
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta - Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet but make sure not to overcook it. The pasta should be a little firm when bitten (al dente). Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta using a colander, then rinse it with cold water. Leave the pasta in its colander and set aside until needed.
- Clean the squids (if not already done by the fishmonger) - Remove the head from the body of the squid and remove the innards. Reserve the tentacles by slicing them underneath the eyes of the squid. Rinse out the squid tubes and slice them into 1cm/0.4in rings.
- Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Place in the garlic, onion and anchovies, then stir-fry for a minute. Use a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies into tiny pieces to help them dissolve. Add in the tomatoes and chillies, then stir for another minute.
- Stir in the passata stock, sugar and salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Place the squid into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the pasta until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with some reserved pasta water by adding a tablespoon at a time. Have a taste and add salt and pepper to your liking if needed. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the parsley.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Squid ink pasta - I used dried squid ink spaghetti pasta, which I purchased at my local greengrocers. Squid ink pasta has a gorgeous black colour with a subtle briny sea taste. If you can't get hold of squid ink pasta, just swap it with regular spaghetti or linguine.
(NOTE 2) Squid - I used freshly caught Loligo Squid from Queensland, Australia. They're known for their tenderness and flavour. My local fishmonger cleaned the inside of the squids for me and removed the tentacles, but I removed the skin and sliced them. Your fishmonger should be happy to do all this for you.
(NOTE 3) Passata (pureed tomatoes) - Passata is pureed tomatoes that have been strained for a smooth consistency. Supermarkets usually stock passata near canned tomatoes and pasta sauces. Crushed tomatoes would also work.
(NOTE 4) Chicken stock/broth - I prefer using salt-reduced or low-sodium chicken stock because I have more control over the sodium level. This way I can adjust the seasoning in dishes to my liking. It's always better to be under-seasoned than over-seasoned as it's easier to fix.
Leftovers - Allow the pasta to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it into a sealed container and store it in the fridge. The Squid Ink Pasta should be good for 2 to 3 days.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 31gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 236mgSodium: 513mgPotassium: 1128mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1410IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 7mg