As a good Genoese, I have always associated pesto with trofie or at most with lasagnette and never would have dreamed that this sauce could combine with other ingredients, much less with fish.
One evening while out to dinner with my husband, I had to change my mind when the chef recommended and then served us a plate of spaghetti with pesto and fresh tuna.
I was amazed at the daring combination, but I must say I liked it very much.
So I decided to push myself beyond the frontiers of typical Ligurian cuisine and thought of marrying basil pesto with squid.
In this recipe, pesto proves to be an extremely versatile sauce, capable of adapting to any pairing where the ingredients harmonize with each other in a masterful way while remaining perfectly recognizable when tasted.
Pasta with pesto and squid is an original first course with a winning combination of flavors: a slight hint of the sea paired with homemade pesto with its intense basil aroma that adds creaminess.
So get ready to prepare pasta with pesto and squid together, a simple and quick first course to make, very tasty and inviting.
I recommend trying this dressing with long pasta like spaghetti or trenette, as I did, because they blend better with the sauce.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 561.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.90 (g) of which sugars 0.97 (g)
- Proteins 19.37 (g)
- Fat 43.37 (g) of which saturated 10.03 (g)of which unsaturated 4.63 (g)
- Fibers 1.93 (g)
- Sodium 1,081.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 11 oz spaghetti (bavette)
- 7 oz squid (or small squid)
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 bunches basil (about 50 g)
- 2.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 oz Pecorino Romano (grated)
- 1 clove garlic
- 0.5 oz pine nuts
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Mortar
- Pot
- Pan
PROCEDURE
I used fresh squid from the fishmonger and had them cleaned, but you can also use frozen ones and defrost them before cooking.
Take the small squid and with a knife detach the tentacles and cut strips from the head.
Sauté 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan along with the chopped parsley and garlic.
As soon as it is slightly browned, add the small squid and sauté for a few moments.
Remember that squid, like all mollusks, should be cooked either for a very short time (maximum 2 minutes) or a very long time (40 minutes), otherwise they will be tough.
Taste, adjust salt, then turn off the heat and set them aside.
In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Clean the basil leaves with a clean cloth or gently immerse the leaves in a bowl of cold water, rinse them, and then dry them completely on a clean cloth.
Crush the peeled garlic with a few grains of coarse salt in the mortar or put them in the mixer bowl until you get a creamy mixture.
Add the basil leaves, a tiny bit of coarse salt, and continue to crush in the mortar (or operate the mixer for a few seconds).
Add the pine nuts, cheeses, and oil in a stream while continuing to crush (intermittently mix for no more than 30 seconds) until you obtain a homogeneous sauce.
Set the pesto aside.
Meanwhile, the water will have come to a boil, cook the pasta and drain it while still al dente (set aside 1 ladle of cooking water).
Pour the pasta directly into the pan with the squid, add ½ ladle of the pasta cooking water and finish cooking by sautéing in the pan.
When it is ready, turn off the heat, pour the pesto along with a little more pasta cooking water, and mix the ingredients well.
Pasta with pesto and squid is ready to be served.
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STORAGE
Once ready, I suggest consuming the pasta with pesto and squid immediately. If there are leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 1 day in an airtight container.
I do not recommend freezing the ready pasta, but you can easily freeze the pesto in small portioned jars for up to 1 month. To use it, just defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
If you prefer even more delicate flavors, you can prepare a zucchini pesto instead of the classic basil pesto.
Alternatively to squid, use shrimp, which also pair excellently with basil pesto sauce.
In this recipe, I used spaghetti, but gnocchi are also a great alternative.
