Squid ink pasta makes for a dramatic visual presentation, but there’s more to this dish that just looks. A simple Italian classic, it’s as perfect for a weeknight meal as it is for Sunday family dinner.
Nothing takes me back to the Italian coastal towns during the summertime like this recipe of squid ink pasta with a tomato and garlic based sauce.
Squid ink pasta, black as a moonless night, hails from Sicily. The ink of the squid gives the pasta a trace of the sea, a touch of the coastline in every bite. Alongside, a sauce of tomatoes and garlic, as staple to the Mediterranean as the sea is to the coast.
The sauce balances earthy sweetness with a punchy edge, a perfect partner for the pasta. In many traditional Italian recipes you find along the coast, the sauce is colored black with more squid ink to add additional drama to the dish – but that’s not necessary from a flavor perspective.
