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A bowl of seafood and black ink pasta.

Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood

This squid ink pasta with seafood is the perfect dinner for a special night. It's luxurious and refined, but still approachable enough that you'll want to make it again and again.
The black squid ink gives the pasta a beautiful color, and the shrimp, clams, and squid provide a rich and savory flavor to the broth. 
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 756kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • 1 pound squid ink pasta
  • 1-½ pounds cherry tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot finely minced
  • 12 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1-½ pounds littleneck clams scrubbed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup bottled clam juice
  • 1 cup fresh minced parsley divided
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1-½ pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 8 ounces squid sliced into 1/2 inch rings
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

For Garnish

  • 2 whole lemons sliced into wedges
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil for serving
  • Extra Virgin olive oil to drizzle over the pasta

Instructions

Cook the Squid Ink Pasta and Prep the Tomatoes

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squid ink pasta and cook according to package directions. 
  • Just before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Set the drained pasta and the reserved pasta water aside for later. 
  • Slice half of the cherry tomatoes in half and leave the rest of them whole. Set aside for later.

Cook the Clams

  • Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (I used a Dutch Oven). Add the shallots and cook for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. 
  • Add the clams and place the lid on the pot. Cook, keeping the pot covered and shaking occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes. Take a peak under the lid, if they are not open, cover the pot and continue to cook them. Check them every 2 to 3 minutes until all or nearly all of them are open.
  • Transfer the clams to a bowl and discard any that have not opened. It’s ok if some of the garlic and shallots get stuck to the clams. Leave any broth from the clams in the pot. Cover the bowl of clams to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out. 

Make the Sauce

  • Add the tomato paste and anchovy paste to the pot. Pour in a splash of the white wine and whisk it around until the tomato and anchovy pastes are lump-free. Stir in the whole cherry tomatoes (save the halved tomatoes for later). 
  • Pour in the rest of the wine, the clam juice, 1/2 cup of parsley (reserve the other half for later), thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about one-third. 
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the shrimp. Cover the pot and cook for 3 minutes (if you have extra large shrimp, cook for 4 to 6 minutes). 
  • Add the squid, lemon zest, the remaining 1/2 cup parsley, and the halved tomatoes. Cover the pot and cook for 2 more minutes or until the shrimp and squid are cooked through (extra large shrimp may need an extra minute to cook). 
  • Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the clams and black squid ink pasta. Cover the pot and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes until the clams warm up again. 
  • Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved pasta water. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
  • Serve with lemon wedges, freshly grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil leaves, and a drizzle of good olive oil. 

Notes

  • If you use canned clams, add them when you add the squid at the end. 
  • You can replace the squid with scallops. Small scallops will only need 2 minutes to cook and larger scallops will need 3 to 4 minutes. 
  • You can substitute the clams with mussels or use both. It will take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes to cook the clams or mussels, depending on their size. You know they are finished cooking when they open. Occasionally, there will be a few that do not open and you should toss those out. 
  • When you purchase clams and mussels in the shell, they should be fresh and tightly closed. If you see any that are open, tap them and they should close. If they don’t close, toss them out. If you find any shells that are cracked or chipped toss them out as well.
  • You can substitute the anchovy paste with 4 to 5 whole anchovies, smashed with a fork. 
  • After you cook the clams, make sure you keep them covered while you prep the rest of the dish. They will dry out and get too cold if you leave them uncovered. 
  • If you don’t have a shallot, use half of a small onion. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 90g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 517mg | Sodium: 9453mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g