Now at first I wasn't amenable to this idea. I don't want to ink a squid! I also happen to dislike shellfish. And when I pitched the idea to my roommate she said, "Absolutely not! We are not going to have the apartment smelling like squid for days." (Our apartment has a notorious lack of circulation.) But as it turns out Squid Ink Pasta is not actually squid pasta. It's a type of pasta with squid ink added. So in fact all it does is turn the pasta black and give it a slightly salty taste. According to AMS, this is an authentic Italian dish. And upon further research, this recipe only became impossible if I was the one making the pasta. Where does one find squid ink? And so I trekked out to the North End in search of my scary looking pasta.
Thank God for Google. I found a small homemade pasta shop with everyone that I needed (and quite a few things I didn't). My arms full of yummy Italian produce, I hurried home to prepare. And I think I turned out my best dish yet. In any event it looks really, really cool. Best Halloween pasta ever, despite it being July.
Scary Squid Ink Pasta
(serves 6)
Pancetta |
Squid Ink Pasta (I used 3 of the containers above, about 2.5 pounds)
Pancetta (about 1/4 pound)
2 Red Bell Peppers
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup white wine
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
- Start boiling the water for the pasta.
- Dice the pancetta into small cubes, pulling away the fat.
- Slice the red peppers into small strips and chop the garlic.
- Combine half the butter and all of the pancetta into a sauté pan on medium heat, stirring frequently until the pancetta is browned, not burnt.
- Add the garlic, then the peppers. Cook until the peppers are soft, not squishy.
- Add the white wine and cook until simmering.
- Add the pasta to the water when it has reached a roiling boil. The pasta should only be cooked for a few minutes, this pasta in particular needed about 5 minutes maximum. Drain the pasta when it is al dente.
- Add the pasta to the sauté pan. Mix everything together and season with salt, peppers, and cheese. Serve and enjoy!
The finished product! |
Yum! I'm ready for some more! It is even more terrifying looking in the pictures, but still tasted delicious.
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