This recipe for Squid Ink Seafood Pasta is the best way to really highlight a homemade squid ink fettuccine (or store-bought fresh squid ink pasta!)
This Squid Ink Seafood Pasta is bursting with flavor: briny pasta, a little heat from red pepper flakes, nice acidity from the white wine and lemon, smokiness from the salmon, and freshness from the basil.
This is a really impressive dish, but it can be made in about 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb squid ink fettuccine
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed (paid link)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup dry white wine (go for an acidic wine like a sauvignon blanc)
- 12 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz hot smoked salmon, flaked into chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
To make the squid ink seafood pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 2 tablespoons salt.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in your olive oil. When the olive oil is heated, add in your pressed garlic and cook, stirring for about one minute or until fragrant.
Add in the tomato paste and stir into the garlic and oil until fully incorporated.
Add in the cherry tomatoes, white wine, and red pepper flakes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes.
Add your pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook according to package directions for al dente. (If you made your own squid ink pasta, cook for 3 minutes, or until the pasta rises to the top.) Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta once it’s done cooking.
While the pasta cooks, season your shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the saute pan.
Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Add in the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
When the pasta is finished cooking, add the pasta to the saute pan with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Toss the pasta in the sauce until the pasta is fully coated and glossy. If needed, stir in more of the pasta water until the sauce is a nice consistency.
Remove from heat, then stir in the chopped basil and hot smoked salmon and serve with more basil on top, if desired.
I love how the seafood, tomatoes, and basil pop against the striking squid ink pasta.
The sauce is nice and citrusy with a slight heat from the red pepper flakes. The brightness of the fresh basil and the smokiness of the hot smoked salmon work so well with the sauce and the slight brininess of the squid ink pasta.
For a dish that comes together in 30 minutes, this Squid Ink Seafood Pasta is an insanely delicious and beautiful meal!
Squid Ink Seafood Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb squid ink fettuccine
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves pressed (paid link)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 2/3 cup dry white wine go for an acidic wine like a sauvignon blanc
- 12 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz hot smoked salmon flaked into chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped basil plus more for garnish
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the squid ink seafood pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 2 tablespoons salt.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in your olive oil. When the olive oil is heated, add in your pressed garlic and cook, stirring for about one minute or until fragrant.
- Add in the tomato paste and stir into the garlic and oil until fully incorporated.
- Add in the cherry tomatoes, white wine, and red pepper flakes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes.
- Add your pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook according to package directions for al dente. (If you made your own squid ink pasta, cook for 3 minutes, or until the pasta rises to the top.) Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta once it’s done cooking.
- While the pasta cooks, season your shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the saute pan.
- Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Add in the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, add the pasta to the saute pan with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce until the pasta is fully coated and glossy. If needed, stir in more of the pasta water until the sauce is a nice consistency.
- Remove from heat, then stir in the chopped basil and hot smoked salmon and serve with more basil on top, if desired.
