The pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes is a simple and tasty first course, a classic of sea cuisine that can bring satisfaction with just a few, well-chosen adjustments. The spaghetti with squid prepared according to this recipe captivates with a fresh and light taste: the sauce is quickly made with cherry tomatoes or pachino, barely sautéed to preserve their natural sweetness. Just as it happens in other simple and genuine fish dishes, like pasta with fresh anchovies, spaghetti with bottarga, or spaghetti with mussels. To have tender and flavorful squid, it is essential to cook them briefly — no more than ten minutes — and at moderate heat. Whenever possible, choose medium-small squid, perfect for this kind of preparation. To make the pasta with squid even creamier and well-mixed, drain it very al dente and finish cooking it in the pan, “risottando” it with the sauce and a ladleful of the cooking water. The pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes is the ideal recipe for those looking for easy yet impressive fish dishes, capable of turning even an impromptu dinner into a special moment.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 286.23 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.74 (g) of which sugars 6.67 (g)
- Proteins 17.23 (g)
- Fat 9.60 (g) of which saturated 1.92 (g)of which unsaturated 1.18 (g)
- Fibers 2.28 (g)
- Sodium 475.06 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 312 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 for Pasta with Squid and Fresh Tomatoes
- 12.7 oz spaghetti (gluten-free for me)
- 1.1 lbs squid
- 9 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chili pepper (optional)
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 bunch parsley
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan non-stick sauté pan with lid
- 1 Pot
How to Prepare Spaghetti with Squid and Cherry Tomatoes
To prepare the pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes, start by cleaning the squid: gently separate the head from the body; pulling it away will also remove the innards. Inside the sac, you will find a thin transparent cartilage, called the “pen,” which needs to be removed and discarded. At this point, you can remove the outer skin covering the body with your fingers or a small knife. Then move on to the head: cut the squid just below the eyes and discard the upper part. At the center of the tentacles, there is a small hard beak, similar to a tooth: you can easily remove it by pushing it out with your fingers.
Once cleaned, rinse everything thoroughly and cut the body into rings (1). If the head is not very large, you can leave it whole and cut the tentacles into pieces; otherwise, cut the head into two or three parts. Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them, and cut them in half (2). In a large pan, lightly brown the peeled garlic clove and the chopped chili pepper in the oil (3).
Keeping the heat low, add the squid rings (4) and let them cook gently for a minute, stirring often, then add the tentacles as well (5). Continue cooking for about a minute, then increase the heat to high and deglaze with the white wine (6).
Let it evaporate well until you no longer smell the alcohol, then add the cherry tomatoes (7). Lightly salt and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the squid is tender and the tomatoes are wilted (8). Finish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley (9). Turn off the heat and remove the garlic clove.
While the squid are cooking, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water and, when a couple of minutes are left to the end of the cooking time, drain it, keeping a couple of ladles of its cooking water aside. Transfer the pasta to the pan, turn the heat back to high, and finish cooking it in the pan, wetting it with a ladle of the pasta’s cooking water (10). Toss the pasta with the squid for a couple of minutes until a dense and well-mixed sauce forms (11).
Turn off the heat and serve the pasta with squid immediately, sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley.
Storage
The squid sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, in a glass container, for up to 2 days.
Tips and Variations
In winter, if you do not have fresh cherry tomatoes available, you can replace them with canned tomatoes, preferably peeled cherry tomatoes, which are generally sweeter.
