Flavorful Squid Ink Pasta with Tender Calamari in a Zesty Tomato White Wine Sauce
Prepare for an extraordinary seafood pasta experience that tantalizes the taste buds and satisfies the soul. This exquisite Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari features exceptionally tender calamari, slow-simmered for 30 minutes in a light yet richly flavored tomato white wine sauce, infused with aromatic garlic and a subtle hint of spice. The result is a dish boasting a deep umami flavor that perfectly complements the unique savory notes of squid ink pasta, making it an ideal choice for a memorable dinner, especially festive occasions like Christmas Eve.
There’s truly nothing quite as comforting and delicious as a well-made seafood pasta. If you’re a fan of ocean-fresh flavors, you’ll also adore our Linguine with Clams or our hearty Linguine with Red Clam Sauce! These recipes, like our calamari pasta, celebrate the versatility and exquisite taste of seafood when combined with perfectly cooked pasta.
A Quick Look at The Recipe: Why You’ll Love This Calamari Pasta
- ✅Recipe Name: Pasta with Calamari
- ⏲️Ready in: Approximately 1 hour (15 mins prep, 45-50 mins cook time)
- 👪Makes: 4 generous servings of pasta
- 📋Main ingredients: Tender calamari, vibrant chiles, dry white wine, smooth passata, and distinctive squid ink pasta.
- ⭐Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This pasta with calamari is a delicious and sophisticated seafood dish featuring succulent, slow-simmered calamari enveloped in a savory sauce and tossed with visually striking and flavorful squid ink pasta. It’s truly perfect for special occasions like Christmas Eve or any time you crave an elegant yet comforting meal. The extended simmering ensures the calamari is incredibly tender, never rubbery, while the chile provides a lovely, subtle warmth that awakens the palate.
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Mastering Calamari: The Secret to Perfectly Tender Squid
Calamari, or squid, can sometimes have a reputation for being chewy, but it’s actually super easy to cook to perfection once you understand its two optimal cooking methods: hot and fast or low and slow. There’s no in-between when it comes to achieving that sought-after tender texture.
For dishes like classic fried calamari, a hot and fast approach is ideal. Quickly frying calamari for less than a minute ensures it remains succulent and avoids becoming rubbery. The high heat seals the outside quickly while the interior cooks just enough to be tender. Over-frying for even a minute too long will lead to that undesirable chewiness.
However, for recipes like this pasta with calamari or our savory Stuffed Calamari, you absolutely want to embrace the low and slow method. This extended simmering allows the tough connective tissues in the calamari to break down gently, resulting in seafood that is incredibly tender and melts in your mouth, completely devoid of any chewy texture. This braising technique infuses the calamari with the rich flavors of the sauce, making it an integral part of the dish.
Don’t let calamari intimidate you! By adhering to these simple principles – frying for 30-90 seconds or simmering for over 30 minutes – you’ll consistently achieve its most tender and delicious texture, turning a potentially tricky ingredient into a star of your kitchen.
Ingredient Notes and Expert Substitutions
Crafting the perfect Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari begins with understanding each ingredient’s role. Here’s a deeper dive into the key components and how you can adapt them to your pantry and preferences:
- Calamari (Squid). The star of our dish! While often delicious, squid’s texture is highly dependent on proper cooking. For this slow-simmered recipe, the tenderness is guaranteed. If squid is unavailable or you prefer an alternative, shrimp can be a good substitute, though it will cook much faster (only a few minutes at the end). Ensure your calamari is cleaned thoroughly before cooking.
- White Wine. A crucial component for deglazing and building depth of flavor. I consistently use a bright and crisp Sauvignon Blanc for most of my pasta dishes, as its acidity cuts through the richness and lifts the seafood notes. A dry Pinot Grigio is an excellent and readily available substitute, offering a similar light and refreshing profile. Avoid sweet wines as they can overpower the delicate seafood.
- Squid Ink Pasta. This visually stunning pasta is not just for show; it imparts a subtle, briny, and distinct umami flavor that elevates the entire dish. Its rich, dark color also creates a dramatic contrast with the vibrant tomato sauce. However, if squid ink pasta is hard to find, regular linguine or spaghetti can be substituted without compromising the core flavors of the sauce and calamari. Fresh pasta can also be used, but adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Passata. The secret to a velvety smooth and vibrant tomato sauce. Passata is essentially strained tomato puree, free of seeds and skins, which gives the sauce a refined texture without any chunky bits. This ensures a beautifully even coating for your pasta and calamari. If you can’t find passata, high-quality tomato puree or finely crushed tomatoes (strained if possible for a smoother finish) make suitable alternatives.
- Anchovies. Don’t skip these if you’re looking to maximize flavor! Anchovies dissolve into the sauce, contributing a profound depth of natural saltiness and an incredible umami savoriness without making the dish taste “fishy.” They act as a flavor enhancer, much like they do in our Garlic Anchovy Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs. If you must omit them for dietary reasons, ensure to adjust the salt levels to taste.
- Red Chile Pepper. I prefer the fresh, vibrant heat of a whole red chile pepper, sliced thinly, as it infuses the sauce with a bright, clean spice. For convenience or a different flavor profile, you can substitute with Calabrian chili peppers (which also offer a smoky depth) or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Adjust the amount to your preferred level of heat.
*Please see the recipe card below for exact measurements and more detailed information on all ingredients.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari
Follow these detailed steps to create a restaurant-quality seafood pasta dish right in your own kitchen. The key to this recipe’s success lies in patience and allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
Step 1: Prepare the Calamari. Begin by meticulously slicing the tentacles of the cleaned squid in half lengthwise to ensure even cooking and easier eating. Then, carefully cut the squid tubes into uniform ½ inch circles. This consistent sizing is crucial for achieving that desirable tender texture throughout the dish. Set aside.
Step 2: Sauté Aromatics. Place a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, add the extra virgin olive oil. Allow it to shimmer, then add the minced garlic, sliced chile pepper, and anchovies. Sauté gently for 2-3 minutes until the garlic turns a fragrant, light golden brown and the anchovies have fully dissolved into the oil. This step creates the flavorful foundation for your sauce.
Step 3: Sear the Calamari. Next, stir in the prepared calamari. Sauté them quickly, for about a minute, until they become opaque and lose their raw, translucent appearance. Be careful not to overcook them at this stage, as they will continue to cook in the sauce.
Step 4: Deglaze with Wine. Pour in the white wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – this is where a lot of flavor resides! Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for 3 minutes, or until the wine begins to reduce by about half, allowing the alcohol to cook off and leaving behind its wonderful aroma and flavor.
Step 5: Simmer the Sauce. Add the passata, along with the measured salt and black pepper, to the saucepan. Stir everything together thoroughly to combine all the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 40 minutes. This extended simmering time is key to tenderizing the calamari and allowing the flavors of the sauce to fully develop and meld. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Step 6: Cook the Pasta and Combine. When your calamari sauce is nearing completion (around the 30-minute mark of its simmer), begin boiling a large pot of generously salted water for your pasta. Add the squid ink pasta and cook according to package directions until it’s perfectly al dente. Once the sauce has simmered for the full 40 minutes, use tongs to transfer the al dente pasta directly into the sauce. Add a ladleful (about ½ cup) of the starchy pasta water to the sauce; this helps emulsify and thicken the sauce, making it cling beautifully to the pasta. Simmer the pasta and sauce together for an additional minute or two, stirring gently, to ensure the pasta fully absorbs the rich flavors of the sauce.
Serve your delicious pasta with calamari immediately, perhaps alongside a crusty loaf of Italian bread to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce. This elegant dish makes a perfect main course, especially wonderful to serve on Christmas Eve as part of the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes, before bringing out other delightful seafood options like our Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder, Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapper, or Lemon Pistachio Crusted Snapper! Enjoy the richness and depth of flavor in every bite.
Pro-Tips for Perfect Calamari Pasta
Elevate your squid ink pasta with calamari to a professional level with these essential tips:
- Cook at a low heat for ultimate tenderness. Resist the urge to rush the cooking process. For this dish, it’s crucial to go low and slow. Slowly sautéing the garlic and chiles infuses the oil without burning them, and then simmering the calamari over low heat for an extended period ensures it becomes incredibly tender and flavorful. High heat will toughen calamari quickly, so patience is key here.
- Frozen calamari is your best friend. Surprisingly, frozen calamari often yields a more tender result than fresh. The freezing process helps to break down some of the muscle fibers, effectively pre-tenderizing the squid. This makes it an excellent choice for braised or slow-cooked dishes where tenderness is paramount. Always thaw it completely before using.
- Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. This is a non-negotiable step for any truly great pasta dish! Transferring your al dente pasta directly into the simmering sauce allows it to absorb the sauce’s flavors, creating a more cohesive and deeply integrated dish. The pasta’s starches also help to slightly thicken the sauce, making it cling beautifully to each strand. Don’t forget that splash of starchy pasta water for extra emulsification.
- Skip the cheese on seafood pastas. In traditional Italian cuisine, cheese is rarely, if ever, served with seafood pasta. The strong flavors of cheese can overpower the delicate taste of the seafood. Instead, for a delicious textural contrast and added flavor, try serving your pasta with a sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs. These add a wonderful crunch and subtle nutty flavor without detracting from the main ingredients.
Recipe FAQs: Your Calamari Questions Answered
Have more questions about making this delicious squid ink pasta? We’ve got you covered with answers to common queries.
Squid can be found in several places. Many major supermarkets, particularly those with good seafood sections like Whole Foods, often carry cleaned squid (tubes and tentacles) in their frozen seafood aisle. Asian supermarkets are also excellent sources, often offering a wider variety and sometimes even fresh options. Local seafood markets are another great place to look for high-quality squid.
While fresh squid is always a treat, it’s really unnecessary for this particular recipe. In fact, using frozen squid will actually help ensure the dish is more tender, which is a key goal here. The freezing and thawing process naturally breaks down some of the tough muscle tissue in the squid, contributing to that melt-in-your-mouth texture we’re after. So, save yourself the hassle and opt for frozen!
Absolutely not for this recipe! Precooked calamari is designed for quick reheating, not for slow simmering. It will become extremely rubbery and unpleasant if subjected to the extended cooking time required to develop the sauce and tenderize raw calamari. Always start with raw (fresh or frozen and thawed) calamari for this dish.
While the sauce with the calamari can be made a day in advance and gently reheated, it’s always best to cook the pasta fresh and combine it with the sauce right before serving. Pasta can absorb too much sauce and become mushy if left to sit for too long. If making the sauce ahead, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you opt for fresh whole squid, cleaning it is a simple process. First, pull the head and tentacles away from the body (the tube). The guts should come out with the head; discard them. Remove the clear, plastic-like quill from inside the tube. Peel off the speckled outer membrane from the tube. Then, you can separate the tentacles from the head by cutting just below the eyes. Discard the hard beak found in the center of the tentacles. Rinse everything thoroughly inside and out. Most squid sold today is already cleaned, making preparation even easier.
Explore More Delicious Seafood Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, we invite you to discover more of our exquisite seafood creations that are perfect for any occasion:
- Mussels Fra Diavolo
- Fried Flounder Oreganata
- Cajun Shrimp Scampi
- Pistachio Crusted Fish
We absolutely love hearing from you! Please leave a comment and a star rating below in the recipe card to let us know what you think of our recipes. Your feedback helps us grow and inspires other home cooks. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice when you share your delicious creations!
📖 Recipe
Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari
Vincent DelGiudice
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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1 large saucepan
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1 large pot
Ingredients
- ½ lb squid ink pasta
- 12 oz Frozen calamari, tentacles and tubes
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 anchovies
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 hot chile pepper
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 24 oz passata
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Parsley Chopped
Instructions
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Slice the tentacles of the squid in half and the tubes into ½ inch circles.
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Place a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic, chile pepper, and anchovies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Then stir in the calamari and saute until they become opaque, about a minute.
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Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the wine begins to reduce. Add in the passata, salt, and pepper. Stir well and simmer low for 40 minutes.
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When the sauce is almost finished, start boiling a large pot of water. Salt the water and add the pasta. Boil the pasta until al dente, and then once the sauce has simmered for 40 minutes, transfer the pasta to the sauce. Add a ladleful of pasta water. Simmer the pasta and the sauce for a minute or two to let the sauce coat the pasta.
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Serve the pasta immediately with a loaf of Italian bread.