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.
Servings: 6 servings
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 crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds littleneck clams scrubbed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup bottled clam juice
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley divided
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces squid sliced into 1/2 inch rings
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
For Garnish
- 2 lemons sliced into wedges
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil for serving
- extra virgin olive oil
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 ½ 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, ½ 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.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the clams and black 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
Canned clams: Add them at the same time you add the squid at the end.
Squid substitutions: Replace the squid with scallops if you prefer. Small scallops only need about 2 minutes to cook, while larger ones take 3–4 minutes.
Clams or mussels: You can swap clams for mussels or use both. Cooking time ranges from 4–10 minutes, depending on their size. They’re done when the shells open. Discard any that stay closed.
Fresh shellfish safety: When buying clams or mussels in the shell, look for fresh, tightly closed shells. If a shell is open, tap it. If it doesn’t close, discard it. Also toss any cracked or chipped shells.
Anchovy paste substitute: Use 4–5 whole anchovies, smashed with a fork, in place of the paste.
Keep shellfish warm: After cooking clams, keep them covered while you prep the rest of the dish. Leaving them uncovered will cause them to dry out and cool too quickly.
Shallot substitute: If you don’t have a shallot, use half of a small onion.
This recipe was inspired by America's Test Kitchen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 90g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 517mg | Sodium: 9453mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
